Titanic 2 case: The defense demands the release of Mijalkov


Attorney Mile Petrovski, defense lawyer of defendant Saso Mijalkov, in yesterday’s closing argument at the trial for election irregularities at the 2013 local elections (“Titanic 2”) has demanded an acquittal for his client because, as he said, there is no evidence that he has taken any action, or has committed the crime charged against him.
– There is no evidence of any request or influence of Saso Mijalkov over Menduh Thaçi, as a result of which the right to further participation of the candidate Vasil Pishev in the elections in Strumica has been acquired illegally – said Petrovski.
He pointed out that the obligation of the person who filed the indictment was to provide evidence that Mijalkov used a real influence on Menduh Thaçi and received a reward for such an influence.
– It is an unfounded and unconfirmed assumption. An element without whose existence it is not possible to file a charge, let alone prosecute him, stressed Petrovski. He emphasized that the decision of the SEC that is said to be illegal is a collective decision and confirmed by a second instance body.
Defense attorney Ljupco Svrgovski said that the entire indictment was based on audio material, which, as he said, was illegally procured.
– The verdict cannot be based solely on the statement of the protected witness. The defense basically considers that the verdict cannot be based solely on the basis of an audio recording and used as a basic proof – said Svrgovski.
According to the indictment, Saso Mijalkov used his real influence and asked Menduh Thaçi over the phone to influence the member of his political party in the SEC to vote for a decision in favor of the VMRO-DPMNE party on the objection to the polling station at the polling station 1727 in Strumica, whereby the candidate Vasil Pisev acquired the unlawful right to further participation in the elections.
Several former members of the SEC have been charged in the SPO case dubbed “Titanic 2”. Among them is the former SEC member, Aneta Stefanovska. She, according to her lawyer Vladimir Pazic, did not commit any crime or undertook an action of which she is being charged.
– An outside party cannot be involved in the procedure, which in this case is the SPO, and say how they voted, or whether a decision was correct or not. Arbitrator among the parties in this particular case for the SEC is the competent court – said lawyer Pazic.
In her closing arguments, defendant Stefanovska said that as a member of the SEC from 2012 to 2016 she participated in several elections, and so far she has not made any mistakes and performed all her duties honestly and professionally. She asked why she was in court and said she did not feel guilty.

– As a member of the SEC, I claim that no one ever suggested on how to vote – said Stefanovska and added that she voted on her own personal conviction. Stefanovska started crying and said that the indictment affected her health.