VMRO-DPMNE called on the state prosecutors to investigate companies and individuals who withdrew their deposits from the Eurostandard Bank before it collapsed and who also took out credits from the bank – credits they may now try to avoid paying back.
The bank owned by oligarch Trifun Kostovski collapsed last week after years of mismanagement which Kostovski blamed on other banks who influenced his board and are trying to take Eurostandard over. Finance Minister Nina Angelovska withdrew a deposit of 250.000 EUR before the bank collapsed, prompting allegations that she used her insider knowledge to protect herself, while thousands of savers are now in danger.

Hundreds of thousands of citizens have their accounts blocked and 20 million EUR in deposits are at risk while people from the Government knew that the bank is collapsing and withdrew their own deposits on time. The public has the right to know all the details of this collapse, said VMRO-DPMNE member of Parliament Ivan Jordanov.

He said that companies from Strumica – the stronghold of SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev – were busily taking out credits from the bank before the collapse. If confirmed, this would add another layer to the scandal. The practice was common place during the collapse of a large state owned bank in the 1990-ies, when people linked to the Government were taking out large credits using shell companies, aware that the bank will collapse and be rescued by the Government, and the loans will never be paid back.