Prestigious London newspaper for business and economics “The Financial Times” under the title “Small-town graft warrior rattles Macedonia’s elite”, describes the Special Public Prosecutor, Katica Janeva as a “whip to Macedonia’s corruption-riddled elite and an unlikely icon of protest in the country’s political crisis”.
According to FT “Ms Janeva’s job is to pursue senior political figures accused of stealing elections and employing the intelligence services for party political ends” ,but the amnesty the President granted has actually made the investigations “Titanic” and “Fortress” obsolete.
“The Financial Times” quoted a western diplomat who suggested that the President’s pre-emptive pardons showed that Janeva had become dangerous.
Prosecutor, Katica Janeva says: “If the president intends to continue pardoning people who are charged, he will be very busy, because we will not stop.”
The Special Prosecutor faces huge obstacles, including the security of her witnesses, many of whom are too afraid to cooperate due to pervasive surveillance.
“It may become even more difficult after Kosta Krpač, a witness was found dead after being shot in the chest”, writes the London paper.
“Ms Janeva, constantly flanked by two female lieutenants — in a striking contrast to the male-dominated world of Macedonian politics — defies the President by launching several new probes”, writes the Financial Times.
Legal circles in Skopje initially viewed Janeva with scepticism, the unassuming small-town prosecutor, who chats happily about her love of music reality TV shows such as ‘The X Factor’.
“But, many say they underestimated her ability to gain public support. Outside a Skopje café this week, two teenage girls rushed for an autograph. She’s like Beyoncé in this country” , observed the reporter.
As for the accusations against her office, that it is being used to score political points, she says, “I do not pay attention to those remarks. I am doing my job”.
