English
The High Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje announced today that it is resuming the investigation into the massive oil scandal. The charges are related to an allegedly corrupt purchase of oil worth 160 million EUR by the state owned ESM/ELEM company, to be used to produce electricty at the height of the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The oil was procured by companies related to Ismail Jahoski, the powerful DUI member of Parliament, and his son was the main accused.
But the case was dropped earlier this month by Islam Abazi, the DUI affiliated prosecutor appointed to lead the Organized Crime Unit. This shocked the public and lead to a review of the work of the politically affiliated prosecutors – Abazi comes from Zajas, the village of DUI leader Ali Ahmeti, and has made no secret of his close ties to the DUI party. Abazi cited claims from ESM that the company did not suffer damages in the deal as sufficient reason to stop the investigation.
The High Office has now instructed the Organized Crime Office to continue its investigation. The higher office demands that the lower prosecutors investigate all the acts that could have led to abuse of public funds and rigging the procurement contract.
Besides Ismail’s son Asmir Jahoski, the charges were aimed at his business partners Ratko Kapusevski and Erdzan Sulkoski, as well as the former director of ESM Vasko Kovacevski, who has already fled the country.