The armoured Mercedes, purchased in 2012 for 600,000 euros and which the Special Prosecutor’s Office opened the “Tank” case, is now located in the government. The Ministry of Interior (MOI) told “Meta” that it is the “main vehicle for dignitaries of foreign delegations.”
“The armoured Mercedes is used as the main vehicle for dignitaries of foreign delegations during their visit to Macedonia, and they’re provided with first, second and third level security measures (presidents, prime ministers of Government, vice presidents, and others)”, said the MOI in response to our questions: Is the vehicle used? Who uses it and where is it now?
The Ministry of Interior said that “Mercedes” is often used “in cases where due to depreciation and obsolescence of armoured vehicles that transport the President, the Parliament Speaker and the Prime Minister” can not meet safety standards and the Decree on providing security for individuals and certain facilities.
This means that Gjorgje Ivanov, Trajko Veljanoski and Emil Dimitriev used the 600,000 euro “Mercedes”, if their security detail estimated that they should.
On January the 24th, the SPO said they opened the investigation procedure, code named “Tank”, in which two suspects are accused of abuse of power and authority in the period from February to October, 2012, “to fulfill the wish of the then Prime Minister” (Nikola Gruevski) and to purchase the “special vehicle”.
In the 31st “bomb” which SDSM released to the public on May the 13th, 2015, the purchase of the “Mercedes” was discussed between the then Prime Minister and current leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Nikola Gruevski, and former Minister of Interior, Gordana Jankuloska.
