Skopje, 22 February 2024 (MIA) –  The Skopje-based Criminal Court decided to reject the indictment in the case dubbed 'Powerman' over unlawful sale of real-estate due to absolute expiry of the statute of limitations after the prosecution requalified the crime for the remaining three defendants at the stage of closing arguments. 

Thus, Milosh Miloshoski, Milosim Vojneski and Antonio Miloshoski were acquitted, after in October 2023 the trial continued against them for the crime of "fraud", whereas proceedings stopped for 10 defendants in the case due to expired statute of limitations following the amendments to the Criminal Code. 

"In accordance with the changes made by the Public Prosecutor at the stage of closing arguments, the court, by force of the Law, i.e. Article 402 item 6 of the Criminal Procedure Code, issued a verdict rejecting the indictment due to ABSOLUTE STATUTE OF LIMITATION. The financial burden of the procedure will be borne by the budget of the Republic of North Macedonia," said the Criminal Court.  

The case dubbed 'Powerman' was opened by the now-defunct Special Prosecutor's Office (SPO). The first and second defendants in the case are Milosh Miloshoski and the former mayor of Makedonski Brod Milosim Vojneski, and the third defendant is MP Antonio Miloshoski.

According to the indictment, the case involves unlawful sale of real-estate to the first defendant in 2011, a building in the village of Izhista which was property of the Makedonski Brod municipality but at the time was used by the nearby municipality of Plasnica. The charges allege that the first and second defendants falsely told municipal councillors that the property was not in use, and caused it to be sold below the market price and without a proper tendering procedure. 

Photo: MIA archive