Joveski: Gruevski did not leave Macedonia by crossing any of the border crossings

Macedonia’s former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski didn’t leave the territory of the Republic of Macedonia by crossing any of the border crossings. Witnesses have been questioned, but I will refrain from giving any other details so as not to harm the preliminary investigation, said State Public Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski.

“Public prosecutors are taking actions to collect evidence as we have already said. Evidence has been gathered by requesting international legal aid from the relevant institutions in Albania and Montenegro. Videos from surveillance cameras installed on roads, pay tool booths, border crossings and from those in the vicinity of Gruevski’s home have been also obtained,” said Joveski.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office, according to Joveski, is analyzing the contents of the evidence as evidence from Albania is also expected to be handed over.

“It should be noted that the Prosecutor’s Office isn’t looking into whether some institutions had made mistakes, it is, in fact, establishing whether some people had broken the law by helping him escape. The relevant institutions, as part of their internal structure, should establish if they bear some responsibility for their actions and what kind of responsibility,” the Chief Prosecutor notes.

As regards the law on amnesty pardoning the men involved in the storming of Parliament on 27 April 2017, Joveski refuses to comment on it calling it ‘a political move’.

“If it had been up to me and the prosecutor in charge of the case, Vilma Ruskovska, it would have never happened. However, this is my personal view and the Parliament in the process of adopting the law had taken into consideration other circumstances I’m not familiar with. The prosecutors will treat the case professionally until it is closed. But, I have to say that the amnesty procedure has cast light on certain aspects of the event. Testimonies in the courtroom, to the surprise of many, had revealed moments of how the events of April 27 had been prepared. I understand the public’s disappointment, but I have to repeat that it is a political decision. The Public Prosecution is obligated to apply the law, said Joveski in an interview with MIA, which will be published tomorrow.