The week began with arrests for the tragic bus accident and embezzlement in the intelligence services and ended with a terrorism verdict in court.
From the 18 defendants without amnesty in the organized terrorist attack on the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia on April 27, 2017, 16 were sentenced to a total of 211 years in prison on Friday (15.03.1919). Opera singer Igor Durlovski, one of the leaders of the “For a United Macedonia” group, who were the initial organizers of the attack, received an acquittal, while only one is having a separate procedure due to poor health.
The heaviest sentence was given to former Director of the Public Security Bureau of North Macedonia, Mitko Chavkov, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Fifteen have been convicted for being a terrorist threat to the constitutional order and security during the attack on Parliament on April 27, 2017 and one for assisting the terrorist threat to the constitutional order and security.
When the trial for the incursion began, among the 33 defendants in the dock, was now amnestied MPs from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, Krsto Mukoski, Sasho Vasilevski, Ljuben Arnaudov and Ljupco Dimovski, as well as the two loudest leaders of “For a United Macedonia” Bogdan Ilievski Batman, Boris Damovski and Vlado Jovanovski, who were also granted amnesty following the Law enacted in the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia.
As for the commissioners of the attack on Parliament, a new investigation has been launched by the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, and the main suspects are top officials from the opposition party VMRO DPMNE , such as the ex-prime minister who fled to Hungary – Nikola Gruevski, ex Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and former ministers: Mile Janakieski and Spiro Ristovski, as well as ex-intelligence officers
Prison sentences handed out over the bus tragedy in Laskarci.
From those detained for the Laskarci bus accident which killed 15 people and injured 39 others, the court ordered that the owner and driver of Durmo Tours be taken into custody.
The prosecution demanded the apprehension of seven people including the driver and the owner of the bus and several employees of Durmo Tours and a technical inspection of the station, both owned by the same boss.
A month-long investigation carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje for the bus accident in Laskarci, which killed 15 people, found that the main reasons behind the accident were that the bus was travelling at speeds higher than permitted, as well as the technical failure of the Durmo Tours bus.
Six of the suspects are being prosecuted for crimes against the safety of people and property in traffic, which could mean a four-year prison sentence. The seventh suspect is being charged with misconduct in the service.
Embezzlement charges “shakes” the secret service of North Macedonia
Toni Jakimovski, the former head of Sasho Mijalkov’s cabinet, is in custody. Jakimovski and three other employees from the service are suspected of abusing official funds and damaging the budget up to 50 million denars, reports the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for prosecuting organized crime and corruption in North Macedonia.
