Court hearings in ‘Target-Fortess’ and ‘Centar Violence’ cases

 Hearings in Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) cases codenamed “Target-Fortress” and “Centar Violence” will take place in the Skopje-based Criminal Court on Tuesday.

“Target-Fortress” relates to the illegal wiretapping and destruction of surveillance equipment. Former Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK) officials Goran Grujevski and Nikola Boskoski, former minister of interior Gordana Jankuloska, former UBK head Saso Mijalkov and his cabinet chief Toni Jakimovski are indicted in the case.

According to the indictment, 4,286 telephone numbers were under illegal surveillance in period 2008-2015, for which court orders had not been issued. Communications were also under surveillance  prior to the issuance or after the end of the validity of court orders for 1,541 telephone numbers. Over 20,000 citizens were wiretapped during the aforementioned period.

Twelve individuals are indicted for inciting violence in front of the Centar municipal building in June 2013, including former prime minister Nikola Gruevski, former minister of transport and communications Mile Janakievski and VMRO-DPMNE MP Daniela Rangelova.

Two other defendants have pleaded guilty and received suspended sentences.