Skopje, 22 May 2025 (MIA) - The Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO) said Thursday it has issued two indictments to the Skopje-based Criminal Court, one related to financial aspects at the Oncology Clinic and the second on the patients' treatment, with a total of six persons indicted.

"The first and second defendants, the clinic's medical director and organizational director, are indicted of abuse of office, fraud in office and embezzlement in office, committed between 2018-2022. They failed to carry out their tasks in the drug procurement procedures, violating the laws on health protection, health insurance, the clinic's statute, the law on budgets and the law on public procurement," said prosecutor Ana Gogovska Jakimovska.

They also defrauded the Health Insurance Fund into making illicit payments of over Mden 430 million (EUR 7 million) to drug suppliers.

In addition, the first defendant, assisted by the second, obtained drug quantities through the public procurement procedures with the intention of appropriating it.

Regarding the second indictment, prosecutor Gogovska Jakimovska said four doctors-oncologists have been indicted. The first defendant is a former director of the Oncology Clinic, who alongside another doctor is charged with severe acts against people's health and malpractice, while other two are indicted of malpractice.

Chief Prosecutor Ljupcho Kocevski said investigative reporting pointing to certain irregularities and State Audit Office reports led to the investigation into the case.

"Let me thank the patients at the oncology clinic for their patience. We promised them and the general public answers, because there is not a single family in the country that is not impacted by the work of this health institution. Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge was to secure the medical expertise, since our country does not have experts or institutions that could do it in a fully impartial manner," said Kocevski.

Therefore, the PPO secured expertise from Serbia and Slovenia, focusing on various segments related to the treatment of oncology patients. Furthermore, the investigation produced evidence of abuse and embezzlement, especially with the expensive biological therapy.

"Nevertheless, I assure patients that despite the crimes for which court proceedings have been launched, the Oncology Clinic employs honest and hardworking professionals. It is the PPO's task to prosecute those who, knowingly or unknowingly, endangered the patients' lives and the clinic's operations. Certain changes in the procedure of therapy approval were made at the Oncology Clinic during the investigation, towards improving controls and removing systemic shortcomings that enable abuse," said Kocevski.

Photo: MIA