Fatime Fetai and Gavril Bubevski to continue prosecuting the “Monster” case

The “Monster” trial on the Smilkovo Lake multiple murders in 2012 resumed in the Skopje Criminal Court on Wednesday.

“The fight for justice continues”, said Prosecutor Fatime Fetai arriving at the Criminal Court, where a new hearing in the Monster trial is taking place.

State Public Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski has authorized former SPO prosecutors Fatime Fetai and Gavril Bubevski to continue pursuing the Monster case, sources from the Public Prosecutor’s Office told the media.

Out of more than 20 SPO cases, only three have been fully resolved in court. Some have been sent back for retrial or are awaiting Appellate Court rulings.

The case involves the murders of four teenagers and a fisherman at Lake Smilkovci near Skopje on Apr. 12, 2012. Six men were tried on terrorism charges and sentenced to life in prison.

In Dec. 2017, the Supreme Court revoked the verdicts and released four men from detention. The case was then taken over by the SPO for a retrial.

The Council of Public Prosecutors on Monday dismissed the SPO prosecutors, transferring them back to their original posts. Prosecutors Fetai and Bubevski will be prosecuting the “Monster” case from the Primary Prosecutor’s Office.