Target-Fortress trial adjourned for October 8

Thursday’s hearing in Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) case Target-Fortress over illegal surveillance of communications has been postponed until October 8.

The trial has been postponed because the Criminal Court has still not received the Appellate Court ruling on the appeal over the trial in absentia of former Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK) official Goran Grujevski in case “Treasury” and the merger of the procedure for defendant Gordana Jankuloska, former minister of interior.

“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.