The saga over the inexplicable rise in Zoran Zaev’s family fortunes after he was made Prime Minister was extended by another chapter this evening, when opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski, during his debate with Zaev, revealed that relatives of the Prime Minister registered a number of companies in Bulgaria.

Mickoski named the companies as Gomasindra and Orient Trade, registered by the Prime Minister’s cousin Trajce Zaev, who is involved in the family marijuana growing business. Zaev’s in-law Radisa Bojovic also registered a company named Radisa Trade.

These companies are operating in neighboring Bulgaria. Why don’t your relatives trust your economic policies and invest their money in Macedonia? How can you expect the Macedonian public to trust you on the economy, if they don’t? Mickoski asked Zaev.

Zaev insisted that he has no knowledge about these companies.

The revelation comes shortly after Zaev’s lawyer Vane Andreev was named as one of the founders of yet another marijuana growing business related to Zaev. The company also has a nun from a monastery near Strumica listed as founder, raising suspicions that Zaev’s political ally, Bishop Naum of Strumica, is also involved.

One of the best known corruption scandals involving the Prime Minister had him recorded on video asking a businessman to divide the several hundreds thousands euros in bribes between his brother Vice Zaev and “the church”. Although it was widely believed at the time that the “church” is a code name for Zaev’s SDSM party, this recent likely joint business venture between Andreev and Bishop Naum raises suspicion that the church is doing business with the Prime Minister’s companies.