The publication of several audio tapes on an anonymous Youtube channel today, containing conversations between opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski and racketeering defendant Zoran Mileski – Zoki Kiceec, raised questions over whether the Government offered a sweetheart plea deal to Kiceec to use him against the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party.
Mickoski and Kiceec are heard discussing the municipal elections in Ohrid, where Kiceec apparently had some influence on the ground. He tells Mickoski that it’s unlikely SDSM will win the mayoral seat outright and Mickoski offers him to meet directly some time in the future.
Kiceec is one of the two accomplices of former Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who was charged with extorting millions from businessmen she was prosecuting. Early in the trial, Kiceec pled guilty, was released from detention and was sentenced to three years in prison. During the trial evidence surfaced of his close ties to both the racketeers and the victims of extortion, as well as his visits to the Government building and a meeting with Zoran Zaev’s brother Vice Zaev. All this was glossed over by the prosecution, who famously tried to present the tape that included Vice Zaev without any comment, hoping the press will not notice it.
And yet, SDSM linked media outlets jumped today on the opportunity to portray Kiceec as linked with Mickoski. Mickoski posted a social media comment, in which he says that there are no indications of criminal activities in anything that was presented today.
I’m certain that if there was a single dark spot in my past, that I would now be in a different place and not able to write to you. I did not deny meeting Mileski in 2019, as I have met other free citizens at the time. The presentation of the tapes proves that Zoran Zaev is scared of his coming electoral defeat. Under him, Macedonia was turned into a swamp ruled by criminals, but soon the swamp will clear up and the criminals will have no place to hide, Mickoski said.
Kiceec was largely portrayed as the muscle behind Janeva’s racketeering group, and also romantically involved with the third defendant, Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13. He was named as the enforcer in another scandal which VMRO-DPMNE revealed to the public – the extortion of money from the dialysis company Diamed, allegedly perpatrated by Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce and the healthcare fund director Den Doncev, who resigned earlier this week. Speculation was rife over whether Kiceec, Boki 13 or Janeva will be the first to turn on Zaev and reveal evidence about the criminal activities of his Government. The fact that Kiceec released early in the trial and pled guilty, and was released into house arrest that will count toward his prison time following his sentencing, while the undoubtebly disease ridden Boki 13 continues to languish in prison, left the impression that Kiceec cut an extensive deal with the Government.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Boki 13 made his strongest comments so far pointing the finger at Zoran Zaev. Boki 13 said that he was informed that he and Katica Janeva are being watched by Zaev – effectively a case where the Prime Minister is tipping off a group of racketeers that they are being followed. SDSM affiliated media outlets did their best to ignore Boki 13’s testimony yesterday, and today the Kiceec tapes were revealed, in an attempt to draw the public’s attention in a different direction, away from Zaev.
In response to the publication of the tapes, VMRO-DPMNE today called on state prosecutors to reveal the full recordings of Kiceec’s meetng with Vice Zaev.
The prosecutors and the judiciary are in a direct collusion with the Zaev family. That is why the tapes of Vice Zaev and Zoran Mileski – Kiceec are shown without audio. Prosecutors don’t even think about questioning Zaev for his involvement in this case. The trials are being channeled and driven away from Zoran and Vice Zaev, the opposition party said in its press release.
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