A heated argument between Special Public Prosecutor Katica Janeva, and Judge Ljubinka Bašeska added to the tempestuous atmosphere at today’s hearing of the “Putsch” case, which was again postponed, however, this time, for an undetermined amount of time. The reason for the disagreement and Janeva’s reaction was due to the appointment of two new female jurors who do not have security clearance and therefore Judge Bašeska postponed the hearing.
At the beginning of the hearing, the judge announced that juror, Olga Krstevka, was relieved of jury duty after she had requested to be dismissed, and a new juror, Vanja Šteriova, was appointed in her place. At the request of members from the Council of the Court, Judge Bašeska decided to appoint another juror, Liljana Ivanovska. These two female jurors, said Bašeska, do not have security clearance, so the court intervened and has began the procedure for an approval for the two new jurors. However, Judge Bašeska said she did not know how long the procedure for issuing the certificates would take and therefore she postponed the hearing indefinitely and when a date is set, it will be then announced to the public.
To this, Katica Janeva reacted furiously, and whipped out her own security clearance and asked Judge Bašeska and other members of the Council of the Court to show their own security clearances. The court refused her request, to which Janeva replied to the judge with her voice raised, “What is this? You cannot postpone a trial indefinitely. You should be ashamed of yourselves, for a whole year you have postponed this case and have manipulated the public”.
