Skopje, 13 January 2025 (MIA) – The Skopje Criminal Court on Monday announced the verdict in the “Fortress” case, a segment of the mass wiretapping case of the now defunct Special Public Prosecutor’s Office, the so called “Target-Fortress” case, whose statute of limitations wasn’t affected by the amended Criminal Code. The court found guilty Toni Jakimovski and Valentina Simonovska, who were present in the courtroom, for abuse of office and falsifying documents in relation to the destruction of communication interception systems in the former security and counterintelligence agency (UBK), as well as Goran Grujevski and Nikola Boshkoski, former intelligence offices who have fled to Greece. They were tried in absentia. 

Toni Jakimovski for abuse of office and falsifying of documents was convicted to a single sentence of three years in jail. His time spent in detention is considered in the jail sentence. Goran Grujevski was convicted to a single sentence of 14,6 years in prison. Nikola Boshkoski received a single sentence of 9,9 years in prison. 

Valentina Simonovska received a conditional sentence of two years in prison if she commits no crime in the coming five years.  

They were found guilty of destroying the Verint and Nice Track communication interception systems in a Skopje landfill in 2015. To cover up the traces, parts of the destroyed equipment was taken to a crushing plant. The damage caused to the state is valued at 1,418,000 euros.

Former interior minister Gordana Jankulovska was acquitted after the prosecution during the trial failed to prove she had committed the crime she was tried for. 

The “Target-Fortress” case is a large-scale illegal wiretapping case affecting over 20,000 people, said the judge Ilija Trpkov stressing the citizens and the state as a whole was held hostage.

“It shouldn’t have been allowed the wiretapping part of this case to reach statute of limitations. However, an intrusion in the judiciary happened with the amendments to the Criminal Code. This case still has a chance to at least partially satisfy justice in regard to the destruction of the equipment,” stated the judge. 

In October 2023, the court decided to suspend criminal proceedings involving criminal association and abuse of office in the “Target-Fortress” case for the accused Goran Gruevski, Sasho Mijalkov, Nadica Nikolikj, Vladimir Varelov, Marijan Shumuikoski and Vasil Isakovski due to statute of limitations.

The trial of the people accused of destroying the equipment resumed. 

“Target-Fortress”, the illegal wiretapping case, kicked off in June 2017. Eleven defendants were tried, including former UBK staff members Goran Grujevski and Nikola Boshkovski, who have fled in Greece, former interior minister Gordana Jankulovska, and former secret police head Sasho Mijalkov.

According to the indictment, 4,286 phone numbers were illegally wiretapped from 2008 to 2015 by three communication interception systems in UBK.