Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13, one of the suspects in the major Racket trial, revealed that he met with former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in early April last year, and that by then, Zaev already knew about the racketeering that was going on. Boki 13 and disgraced former Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who were both close allies of Zaev, are suspected of extorting tens of millions of euros from businessmen who Janeva was prosecuting.

During the hearing today, Boki 13 said that he met with Zaev on April 3 2019, when Zaev told him that charges will be filed in the case and that foreign intelligence agencies were informed about the case. Publicly, Zaev claimed that he was contacted by the main victim of the extortion, businessman Jordan Orce Kamcev, and that he reported the extortion on the part of Janeva and Boki 13 to state prosecutors in late April. Boki’s statement today shows that Zaev was well informed about the extortion weeks before he claimed that he reported it. Zaev is widely suspected of informing the racketeering group, including his close politically ally Janeva, that they are being investigated and that Kamcev has been going around reporting their extortion attempts.

Zaev was a guest in my TV station on April 3 and after the interview we spoke in my office. He spooked me, telling me that foreign intelligence is following me Katica. He manipulated me into thinking that foreign agencies have evidence against me. I’m sorry that my cell phone is not examined. That will reveal my full communication with Zaev but also with Oliver Spasovski, when I reported to him that Kamcev is recording me, Boki 13 said.

Boki 13 also testified that Zaev was promising Kamcev’s wife, but also people close to former security chief Saso Mijalkov that he will make sure they get preferential treatment in prison, where they were detained on Janeva’s charges. Boki said that Kamcev’s wife, accompanied by the third defendant Zoran Mileski – Zoki Kiceec were touring embassies in Skopje to drum up support for their cause.

During the hearing, Boki 13 also turned against prosecutor Vilma Ruskoska, who filed the charges against him and Katica Janeva. Boki testified that he would often meet Ruskoska and would even get more information from her than from Janeva. He also accused Ruskoska of being close to Kamcev, and agreeing to undermine Janeva’s case against him.

Katica is an exceptionally honest person and was very tight lipped. I’d get more information from Ruskoska. Ruskoska hated Janeva immensely. She would call me, ask me to send TV crews to follow people she was in dispute with. The entire system at play here is rotten to the core and we will reveal the true face of these prosecutors and businessmen, Boki 13 told the court.

Boki 13 claimed that in his meetings with Kamcev, he was being goaded into discussing Janeva’s activities, and were secretly recording him to make it appear that he is involved in the actions of the Special Prosecutor’s Office “I was simply giving my opinions, trying to act smart, and they recorded and packaged the whole thing”, Boki 13 complained to the court.

He also called on the prosecutors to find the Louis Vuitton bag that and Mileski were filmed carrying out from Kamcev’s home. Boki 13 denied the claims that the bag was filled with 500.000 EUR in cash, claiming that “Mileski lifted it with no difficulty” and that it would’ve been heavier if it was full. Prosecutors still haven’t located the bag, which was reportedly equipped with a GPS locator and which is widely speculated to have eventually ended up in the hands of officials from the ruling SDSM party.