Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13, the key person in the major Racket scandal, today testified that Zoran Zaev was abusing his power to order verdicts. Boki 13 said that Zaev was using his loyal President of the Skopje I court Ivan Dzolev to order tailor made sentences.

I have indications I keep on my mobile phone that refer to the President of the Criminal Court. It is part of my full distrust of the judiciary, and I hope that the higher courts look into my objections, Boki 13 said during the hearing in the second Racket trial where he is the key defendant.

Judge Sofce Gavrilova tried to stop him from discussing further about the evidence he has on his phone what light he can throw on the relationship between Zaev and Dzolev. Zaev extensively used the judiciary in his power-grab, including through the Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who was sentenced for extortion in the first Racket trial, along with Boki 13. Janeva would initiate frivolous cases against Zaev’s political opponents, while Dzolev would allow violations of the law and court procedures such as accepting warrantless wiretaps as evidence. Dzolev was appointed as head of this court that handles all main criminal cases shortly after Zaev grabbed power in 2017.

At the end of the original Racket trial, Boki 13 also revealed that the money he and other accomplices were extorting with the help of Janeva and their close links to the ruling SDSM party ended up in the hands of Zoran Zaev and his brother Vice.