The Public Prosecution for Organised Crime and Corruption on Thursday filed indictment against Bojan Jovanovski, Katica Janeva and Zoran Milevski – Kiceec, suspected in money extortion case dubbed ‘Racket’ case.

Namely, the first defendant in the period from November last year to April this year, using his presumed influence over the second defendant – public prosecutor, influenced to perform an official action that should not be performed. Taking advantage of the previously established amicable relations he influenced the second defendant, in conducting an investigation into the “Empire” case, to facilitate the position of the witness who was one of the suspects in the case and to whom detention measure was imposed at the request of the prosecution.

The third defendant made a significant contribution to the commission of the crime by arranging continuous meetings of the first defendant with the witness’s wife and later with the witness, thereby assuring them of his influence over the public prosecutor.

The second defendant accepted the influence of the first defendant and as a public prosecutor, used her official position and authority and exceeded the limits of her powers. After the first defendant together with the third defendant received the agreed EUR 500,000 from the witness’s wife, despite the unchanged circumstances on which the detention measure was imposed and extended, the second defendant submitted a motion to the Court of Appeal – Skopje to determine a milder measure – house arrest, which was accepted by the court. At the same time, according to the agreement, after the payment of the first 1,000,000 euros, the second defendant submitted written consent to the court to temporarily return the seized travel document to the witness.

By taking official actions, the second defendant used and exceeded her official position and powers for personal gain, including furniture in the amount of 296.040,00 denars and money in the amount of 50,000 euros, and for unlawful influence on others, the other two defendants received a reward of 1,500,000 euros. The first defendant, though unemployed, with blocked bank accounts and no income, bought luxury furniture, clothing and footwear for himself earlier this year and stayed in luxury resorts abroad suggesting the money he obtained by committing the crime “receiving a reward for unlawful influence” went into circulation.