Lile Stefanova, one of the top deputies to disgraced former Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, testified before the court today after her hearing was postponed several times. Stefanova was the lead prosecutor in the Empire money laundering case initiated against several top businessmen, which Janeva reportedly used to extort 1.5 million EUR from businessman Jordan Orce Kamcev. Before the court, Stefanova claimed that Janeva insisted on Kamcev’s release from detention, saying that it is important for the political developments in the country.
Janeva took the money in exchange for allowing Kamcev to have his passport back, and promised to go easy on him in the trial if he pays up to eight million EUR. Stefanova was also accused of trying to extort Kamcev, but for a far lower amount – she demanded that he gives her a piece of real-estate in a building he was developing, so her daughter can open a dentistry office.
During the testimony, Stefanova stuck to her publicly stated position that she did not have a good relationship with Janeva, and that Janeva was solely responsible for abusing the trial and extorting Kamcev.
Janeva gathered all of the prosecutors for a meeting, and told us that Orce Kamcev, but also Saso Mijalkov, Mile Janakieski and Kire Bozinovski need to be released from detention into house arrest. She said they will not flee the country, and that the move is important in order to get the law on state prosecutors adopted, Stefanova said. Mijalkov was co-accused with Kamcev in the Empire case while Janakieski and Bozinovski, all former top officials of the VMRO-DPMNE party, were charged in various other cases led by Janeva. Since early 2016 Janeva filed charges against most of the top VMRO-DPMNE officials, allowing Zoran Zaev and his SDSM party to grab power in Macedonia in 2017. The Empire case was conducted in late 2018 and early 2019, at a time when Zaev was pushing the name change on Macedonia.
Stefanova accused Janeva of sabotaging her own case against Kamcev. She said that, during an early morning raid in Kamcev’s home, he was found fully prepared for the prosecutors and the police. Stefanova said that Janeva insisted that Kamcev is released from detention even though he has a lot of influence over the other defendants.
You will give Kamcev his passport back, no matter whether his property is under a mortgage. Give it back, Stefanova quoted Janeva’s words at her. Stefanova added that she refused, and Janeva had another deputy prosecutor give Kamcev his passport back. “I only realized Kamcev has been released when I saw him attend the Vardar game outside of the country”, Stefanova added.
Stefanova avoided the issue of her own alleged extortion attempt. Kamcev testified that real-estate developer and copper magnate Vanco Cifliganec, who he said is very close to Stefanova but also to the Zaev family, called him up and asked that a piece of real-estate is given to Stefanova. Kamcev said that he refused this request.
Stefanova also accused powerful judge Dobrila Kacarska, who is an important element of Zaev’s cadre in the judiciary, of calling other SPO prosecutors and asking around about the course of the Empire investigation. Another judge Vesna Dimiskova, who tried the Empire case, is also suspected of attempting to extort money from Kamcev. Dimiskova reportedly had her brother, lawyer Vasil Dimiskov, approach Kamcev asking for millions of euros for the judge.
Stefanova was also asked about her joint appearance with Janeva and another SPO prosecutor, Trajce Pelivanov, at the 1TV channel owned by Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13. Boki is Janeva’s co-defendant in the Racket trial. Stefanova insisted that she doesn’t know Boki 13 and was pressured to appear alongside Janeva at the “Justice and Injustice” show that ran on 1TV.
Stefanova testified that Janeva called her up as the racketeering charges were becoming known to the public, after Boki 13’s arrest in July 2019, and demanded that she remains silent about the content of the La Verita tapes, which revealed Janeva’s involvement in the extortion. Stefanova, who was seen as one of the main movers in Janeva’s team, insisted that by then their relations were badly deteriorated. At one point, she said, Janeva discussed their work and used an expression meaning “what happened, happened”.
Organized crime prosecutor Vilma Ruskoska, who initiated the case against Janeva, did not show up for today’s hearing. Ruskoska is currently under pressure after revelations show that she sat on evidence of election theft by former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his brother Vice Zaev. Both Janeva and Ruskoska are strong Zaev loyalists and helped him blackmail opposition members of Parliament to get them to vote for the imposed name change. Ruskoska sent a deputy prosecutor to examine Stefanova.
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