English
Justice Minister Igor Filkov announced a review of the work of the prisons, after former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi was allowed into house arrest after he claimed that he would not be safe in the Skopje detention prison in Shuto Orizari. Grubi’s claim was seconded by the Interior Ministry and the ANB security agency – without sharing much details, Grubi claimed that some of the prisoners would have reason to try to harm him.
We must have institutional control. No-one can be spared accountability. I demanded an explanation from the warden of the prison and I was informed that all conditions to carry out the detention in the prison were met. It is not acceptable that we allow the claim to lack of security to be used to issue milder measures to suspects, said Minister Filkov.
Boban Utkovski, the warden of the Shuto Orizari prison, said “there are no Mexican cartels” there and that the security of every detainee is secured. “I ask the institutions to declare what criteria do we fail to uphold. It is not true that we could not guarantee Grubi’s personal safety. Ultimately, therea re other institutions in Gevgelija, Bitola, Kumanovo.. if ours was deemed unsafe”, Utkovski said.