Lawyer Toni Menkinoski, who leads the VMRO-DPMNE team during the negotiations over the future fate of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, warns that the ruling coalition is attempting to pardon Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva over the crimes she has committed in office.

In an interview with PressingTv.mk, Menkinoski says that VMRO is opposed to the ending of the series of investigations Janeva started after June 30th 2017, when her mandate to open new investigations was supposed to end. Janeva and the ruling SDSM party used these cases to attack their political opponents, mainly VMRO-DPMNE, and entrench themselves in power. The very opening of these cases constitutes a crime, Menkinoski says.

Now the fate of the SPO has been raised as an issue as Macedonia asks to be allowed to open EU accession talks.

We have 40 people working on the negotiations. They have Justice Minister Deskoska and one more person. This tells you how serious they are to discuss the issue, said Menkinoski, adding that “the opposition wants to see real and efficient fight against crime and corruption and quality reforms in the judiciary, based on international practices”.