Today, the Special Public Prosecution, during its public sessions that took place one after the other at the Appeal court, have demanded once again for detention to be ruled to former ministers for internal affairs and transportation and communications, Gordana Jankulovska and Mile Janakievski, the former chief staff of the former Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, Martin Protoger, and the former general Secretary of the Government, Kiril Bozinovski – all accused in the “Titanic” case.
Out of four accused, at the court, only Protoger didn’t show up, who, as his attorneys have announced, was sick. According to the attorneys, he was treated at a Hungarian military hospital in Budapest, but since he found out that he was accused, he got back, has deposed the passport at court and has continued with a treatment in the country.
SPO’s prosecutor has demanded from the Appeal Court, to be taken into detention because of the danger of him running away, while his attorneys have claimed that he has no intention to run away and a proof of that is that he returned from a treatment from abroad.
The request for detention of the former Minister of Interior, SPO has explained it with the claim that Jankulovska has made contacts with high ranking officials in states where she can hide and that she can leave outside only by using her ID. SPO also has stated that she influenced witnesses and as evidence, they have a statement of one of them who complained that she has asked of him not to provide incriminating statements about her.
Jankuloska, who is accused of five criminal felonies, at the session has stated that she worked at a security institution and that her scientific work is in the domain of fighting crime and that all of her contacts and acquaintances with foreign officials were only for the benefit of Macedonia.
-My personal profile doesn’t coincide with SPO’s claims that I would run away. Here, in front of the Court, I promise that I will not run away from the procedure. And I haven’t influenced any witnesses. I haven’t been at MoI for the last two years and I have no contact with the employees – said Jankuloska.
According to the charges against her, Jankuloska is a member of a criminal organization as part of the “Titanic” case for rigging elections, along with the prime suspect, Nikola Gruevski.Apart from this act, she is accused of violating the right to vote, misuse of the assets for financing an election campaign, for a misuse of an official position and authorizations and for violating the freedom to cast a vote.
Former Minister of Transportation and Communications, Mile Janakieski, denied SPO’s claims that he is obstructing the procedure that is led against him. He promised to report to the court regularly and that he has no intention to run away and he won’t be influencing witnesses.
SPO has requested detention for Janakievski since he is not cooperating with the prosecution and because of his high ranking position within VMRO-DPMNE. He is accused of four criminal acts related to rigging elections.
Due to the danger of running away and influencing witnesses, SPO requested a detention today for the former General Secretary of the Government, Kiril Bozinovski. SPO’s prosecutor, Burim Rustemi, at the court has said that Bozinovski isn’t cooperating as part of the procedure and that he is a person that is at VMRO-DPMNE’s top and has power over the members because of which only with a detention he can be prevented from influencing the witnesses and the procedure.
-I haven’t influenced witnesses and I don’t have a state position. I regularly report to the SPO’s invitations. I have a family and I look forward to the procedure to prove that I’m innocent – said Bozinovski, who promised to regularly answer the court invitations.
Otherwise, all for accused through appeals have asked the Appeal Court to cancel the Criminal court’s decision with which certain measures of precaution were set and they also demanded their passports to be returned.
