Trial in ‘TNT’ demolition case to resume on Feb. 9

A trial involving a case codenamed ‘TNT’ of the Special Public Prosecution (SPO), which investigated the demolition of a residential complex of businessman Fijat Canoski, will resume on February 9.

On February 2, the defence counsel should take over all evidence submitted by the SPO. The evidence includes 26 audio recordings of telephone conversations, 50 mobile phone messages and a forensic analysis, according to the prosecutors.

Seven people are indicted for the demolition of the ‘Cosmos’ complex of the Macedonian businessman, who is also the leader of the Party for European Future. They include former premier and ex-president of the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski, former transport minister Mile Janakieski and ex-municipal mayor Toni Trajkovski.

At the start of today’s trial, they all pleaded not guilty to the charge of abuse of office.

According to the prosecutors of the Special Public Prosecution, the accused in 2011 had committed a crime as an act of political retaliation by knocking down the residential building of their political opponent Fijat Canoski. The prosecutors said the demolition had caused a damage estimated to EUR 16 million.

Canoski and the construction company FIMET said they would seek compensation for the damages.

Moreover, the defence counsel said they would prove that the none of accused had committed the crime they had been charged with. They claimed they would prove that the Kosmos complex had been built against construction standards and that as such it had to be demolished.

On 4 November 2017, the Appellate Court ruled that wiretapped conversations could be used as evidence in the TNT court proceedings.