Special Prosecutor Janeva: Some may save themselves

Special Public Prosecutor Katica Janeva, is unable to predict what will happen in the future with the cases of this prosecutor’s office, if the new draft law is finally adopted, which will ultimately regulate the status of the SPO and by which the so-called “bombs” can no longer be used as evidence in over twenty cases opened by the SPO after June 2017. It leaves an open opportunity for any defendant save themselves from responsibility, but also to increase the number of charges.
“Some may save themselves, and some may earn extra charges. But we are essentially pleased that our competence expands. We are not limited to the “bombs” because in the period that we analyzed, we consider that there are other violations of the Criminal Code. So perhaps now in certain pre-inquiries we will open much bigger investigations than those we already have,” said Special Prosecutor Janeva.
For the time being, the Special Prosecutor’s Office reassures that the so-called “bombs” will be unusable in the cases of “Census” that is being conducted against DUI leader Ali Ahmeti and former leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Nikola Gruevski, in the cases “Thaler” against the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, the “Empire” case that should prove the crime suspected by the former head of the secret police, Saso Mijalkov and businessman Orce Kamcev, and other cases, would not be a problem because they have also collected material evidence and testimonies from witnesses.
The so-called “bombs” made it easier and clarified some of the things in the context of all other material and verbal evidence, but I think that the way of working without the so-called “bombs” is a challenge for the Special Public Prosecutors and we will try to be up to the task,” said Prosecutor Janeva.
Although the Supreme Court, after the legal opinion that it brought, released the suspected businessmen in the “Empire” case to be free to defend themselves, according to Janeva, the most important thing is that the SPO has sufficient evidence in the cases to continue the investigations and certain ongoing pre-inquiries for these individuals. She claims that if the Supreme Court releases and allows Saso Mijalkov to defend himself as well, they may file a request for detention for some of the other cases against him.
After the coalition partners SDSM and DUI agreed on the draft law on the SPO and adopted it at a government session, now for the two-thirds majority to pass this law in Parliament, the government should seek support from the smaller Albanian parties, the independent lawmakers and convince the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE. It is exactly the leader of the opposition party Hristijan Mickoski who accused the Special Public Prosecutor Janeva that she blackmailed him by revoking the decision to freeze the party’s property in exchange for the MPs’ support for the law on the SPO.

Janeva argues that there were no threats or blackmail at the meeting, but a casual conversation about the criticism that only certain individuals are under investigation by the SPO.
“I thought it was good to talk to Mickoski and ask him to give his support if it comes to a new law on the SPO which will extend its term for an indefinite period of time as part of the judicial system, that he could consider the issue in his party so that the party could express its support,” said Janeva.
Yesterday, the government put the draft law on public prosecution in a parliamentary procedure, and Justice Minister Renata Deskoska claims that they have not yet confirmed the majority in parliament. But it is important for her that they have reached an agreement on a level of a government coalition.
According to her, according to the new draft law, all procedures initiated before the SPO will continue and are in the phase of indictment or in the phase of investigation or a pre-investigation, with the evidence collected on the basis of these procedures remain valid.
“The use of wiretapped conversations is limited to those charges filed during the first 18 months. In consultation with foreign experts and with the SPO, we came to the conclusion that practically in cases that were filed after 18 months there is no realistic need to use these audio materials as evidence, because they are used as an indication through which the SPO came to other evidence that can serve as evidence in court proceedings. Due to these reasons, there will be no disruption to the quality of court proceedings if these audio materials are not used in these procedures,” said Justice Minister Deskoska.
The new draft law proposes that the so-called “bombs” continue to be used as evidence in the cases beginning with the letter T and the case “Violence in Centar”.

(FFS)