US Ambassador to Macedonia Angela Aggeler urged judicial institutions to take action after the designation of former First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi on the State Department’s black list.

Ambassador Aggeler said that the blacklisting of Grubi and judge Enver Bexheti is a call for accountability of individuals whose criminal acts undermine the security and stability of the country, and its values. “We don’t have to give evidence and information to the institutions. The evidence is available. If we could find it, so can the institutions, Aggeler said.

The Ambassador did not disclose additional details about the evidence the US has against Grubi, other than to say that it involves accepting bribes to delay judicial proceedings against former state security chief Saso Mijalkov, who was eventually able to avoid most of the numerous criminal cases against him. Aggeler spoke with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski about the State Department’s decision.

During a press conference, when asked about the destabilization angle, she told the press that she does not believe anyone would destabilize his own country. The decision comes as DUI was preparing protests against the expected decision of the Constitutional Court on the law on the use of the Albanian language, which DUI was hoping to use to stir up ethnic division.