The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption in North Macedonia will soon decide whether to open a case regarding suspicions of misconduct by the relatives of the President of the Democratic Union for Integration Ali Ahmeti.

The case involves his son and two nephews, who are suspected of involvement in illicit businesses and unlawful enrichment. The Commission has not specified when it will discuss these cases, but if it decides to initiate proceedings, they will be sent to the law enforcement authorities for further investigation.

Drin Ahmeti, the nephew of the DUI President Ali Ahmeti has become the second-largest owner with a 39% stake in the “Soravia” business center in the center of Skopje. The 25-year-old Drin Ahmeti confirmed the purchase of the center but denied that his uncle had any influence on his business.

The new owners of the “Soravia” shopping center, with over 20 million euros in debt, have stated that they will not contribute any money from the new companies that now own the center. However, they have obtained a credit line of 6 million euros from an Albanian bank to repay the debts.

Depending on the business development, the owners say they plan to reduce the debt, and if the “Soravia” business center operates at a loss over the next three years, the owners plan to sell it.

Apart from the debt, the three owners of the shopping center have not provided any details about its acquisition.

Although only 25 years old, Ali Ahmeti’s nephew is involved in several businesses. In addition to the purchase of the shopping center through the company “Tor Industries”, Drin Ahmeti, through another company of his, “Everest JD”, also has an active concession for the exploitation of quartz stone in Zajas, the birthplace village of Ali Ahmeti.

This was made known by the opposition party VMRO DPMNE, which has also published the agreement that claims to have been concluded between the “North Macedonian Power Plants” and Drin Ahmeti’s company.

According to VMRO DPMNE, this company has only one employee and has been granted a concession for the extraction of quartz stone worth 3,600,000 denars (60,000 euros).

The company “Everest JD” is also listed as the owner of “Potam-plant”, another company established in 2019 involved in the production of electricity. Drin Ahmeti’s portfolio also includes another electricity production company, “Helios Plant”, where he is one of the three owners, along with his brother Besian and Shkumbin Ahmeti, son of DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.

An investigative journalism program called “KOD” broadcast on Telma television has also published research on the involvement of Kushtrim Smajlaj, Ali Ahmeti’s son-in-law, in businesses, where he reportedly earns over 100 million euros annually through a company from Kërçova.

The relatives of Ali Ahmeti claim to be ready to demonstrate the origin of their wealth and have invited law enforcement agencies to investigate all the allegations, not only those from the opposition but also other publications.

DUI President Ali Ahmeti stated that he does not shy away from investigations and has even requested that investigations be initiated for every member of the party, starting with himself.

“A party cannot become an investigator and prosecutor, but this task should be carried out by the state-paid institutions, funded by taxpayers, because corruption and wrongdoing cannot be fought otherwise. I have called on all media to partner with us in the fight against evil because only together can we fight it, and there is no amnesty or shelter for. But until guilt is declared, we cannot engage in witch-hunting,” said Ahmeti.

The suspicions of involvement of Ahmeti’s relatives in million-dollar businesses have not been commented on by government officials, including Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski. According to VMRO DPMNE, his silence leaves room for suspicion of his involvement in “dirty businesses”.

“Kovačevski is directly involved in the crimes of DUI and Ahmeti. Kovačevski is afraid to seek answers and responsibility for Ahmeti and DUI because he is also involved in the crime,” says a statement from VMRO DPMNE.

“That man [Ali Ahmeti], who presented himself as a fighter for human rights 20 years ago, will end up as a deeply immersed person in criminality. Unfortunately, his family is also getting immersed,” said the leader of VMRO Hristijan Mickoski.

Leader of the Besa Movement Bilall Kasami does not believe in the investigation of suspicions involving Ahmeti’s relatives and officials of his party, including the mayor of the Municipality of Struga Ramiz Merko, who is on the U.S. blacklist for financial abuse and influence in the judiciary.

“Which prosecutor are you talking about? The Prosecutor’s Office that is run by your servant, that prosecutor who is completely under your control? Are you talking about that prosecutor led by Islam Abazi, who, just like your nephew Drin Ahmeti, didn’t know how he ended up in your house taking pictures with you and your family?” Kasami declared.

Commenting on the call for an investigation by the leader of the DUI, former prosecutor Aleksandar Nakov does not believe it will happen. According to him, it is Ali Ahmeti himself who decides on the appointment of his members to high positions, and then they make decisions according to political interests.

“Personally, I’m not convinced that there will be any investigation process. It’s more like throwing dust in people’s eyes, pretending that you can control everything, but it’s all clean with us. That’s his approach. The situation in our politics is like that, and I think there’s no chance of achieving specific results, especially from people who hold these positions. The influence of the Public Prosecutor of the Republic is significant. But, based on my deep conviction, the current one doesn’t even have the capacity to deal with such a group, I would call it, working in the field of justice,” says Nakov.

He supports the idea of a “comprehensive review of judges and public prosecutors if the state is willing to deal with crime”.

Regarding the developments in North Macedonia, the suspicions of officials’ involvement in corruption and organized crime, the U.S. Department of State recently called on state leaders “to show strong and tangible results in the fight against corruption, by strengthening institutional independence and limiting political interference, especially in the judiciary, which are essential for achieving the goals of EU membership and building citizens’ trust in the government”.