Police officers remain deployed in front of the several homes owned by former state security chief Saso Mijalkov in Skopje, as well as in his unofficial base of operations – the downtown Marriott hotel. Mijalkov was ordered into house arrest by the court yesterday, as he awaits a sentencing in the major wiretapping case later this week, but the police was unable to find him and give him the house arrest order.

A warrant was issued for Mijalkov today. This is a new major embarrassment for the Zaev regime, especially as it comes at a time when questions are being raised about Zaev’s apparent political and business deals with Mijalkov.

TV21 reported that their crew saw Mijalkov in the bar of the Marriott hotel yesterday early afternoon, where he was together with the former Mayor of Aerodrom Ivica Konevski. Konevski is one of the top men in the faction Mijalkov is trying to put together in the VMRO-DPMNE party – again in apparent coordination with Zaev who places a premium on causing divisions in the biggest opposition party.

Mijalkov and Konevski were seated near the entrance, toward the Macedonia Square. There were several security men with them. They spoke for about half an hour and then Konevski left, Mijalkov shortly after. He entered the hotel and then left 10 minutes later, TV21 reported.

The Interior Ministry confirmed that it is looking after Mijalkov. “We are undertaking measures and steps to locate him”, the Ministry told a news outlet. The incident is, of course, being compared to the way former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski (and Mijalkov’s cousin) was able to leave the country in 2019 and seek political asylum in Hungary.