15 former officials and others from North Macedonia and Italy are suspected of massive money laundering through the “Skopje 2014” project, which transformed the appearance of the capital’s center with baroque-style facades and involved the expenditure of millions of euros.
One of the 15 accused is the former Mayor of the “Center” Municipality of Skopje Vladimir Todorović, who was arrested on Friday under charges of “misuse of municipal funds”, while he led the institution from 2009 to 2013.
Meanwhile, according to the prosecution, former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is the main suspect in the case.
Gruevski fled to Hungary on November 13, 2018, and a few days later, it was announced that the authorities in Budapest had approved his request for political asylum, thus preventing his arrest by the authorities in Skopje.
The Basic Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption accuses this group, which includes former Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski, former Minister Elizabeta Kancheska-Milevska, and former Chairwoman of the Center Municipality Council Violeta Alarova, of abuse of duty and money laundering related to the “Skopje 2014” project.
Prosecutor Ljubomir Lape told journalists that the prosecution had requested permission for more inspections, the seizure of several properties, and the freezing of several bank accounts to ensure the presence of the accused in court.
“From the first half of 2008 until today, the fourth suspect has created a group that has been engaged in money laundering. Seven of the suspects, including other individuals, have become part of the group. Through offshore companies, they have established a network of three companies in North Macedonia and one in Italy, while the founders of these companies have acknowledged and circulated large sums of money with criminal origins. Through their exchange, the origin of the money has been concealed, and they have been appropriated for personal wealth and benefits.”
Prosecutor Lape said that the ministries, bypassing the Parliament, had transferred approximately 57.6 million euros to the “Center” Municipality fund, making it appear that the project belonged to the municipality rather than the government.
According to the prosecutor, 11 monuments were worked on by an Italian company, including the one of Alexander the Great, or as recently known “Warrior on a Horse”.
Investigations have revealed that the suspects misappropriated 16 million euros, which were transferred from Italy to North Macedonia through “various channels”. For example, if a monument in North Macedonia cost 4.7 million euros in the tender, it was sold in Italy for 2.3 million euros.
The Prosecutor’s Office has sought assistance from five different countries, regarding this case codenamed “Phoenix”.
Meanwhile, the “Skopje 2014” project, according to some experts, is believed to have cost between 500 million and 1 billion euros.
North Macedonia has recently been criticized by the U.S. Department of State and other international organizations for the delay in judicial cases and the low public trust in the judiciary.
