The Foreign Affairs Ministry leapt to the defense of Minister Nikola Dimitrov, after it was revealed that Dimitrov was informed about the racketeering scandal involving special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, but remained silent about it. This allegation was made by a businessman who faced extortion attempts from Janeva, and who reported this to the Embassy of Latvia, given that he is the honorary consul of this Baltic republic,
The Foreign Ministry issued a press release attempting to whitewash Dimitrov from the allegations that he was informed by the Latvian Ambassador of the extortion, but remained silent both before the public and the state prosecutors about the serious reported crime.
The Ambassador did mention the honorary consul, Mr. Zoran Mitrovski, during an informal conversation. He only mentioned that Mitrovski complained about being mentioned in the press as a possible suspect in an investigation. The issue of racketeering was not mentioned. Considering that possible comments in that regard would violate the diplomatic and consular status, Minister Dimitrov merely informed the Ambassador that in our country the media is free and the Government is not allowed to influence their work, or the work of the honorary consuls. This concluded the conversation, the Ministry said.
Faced with similar allegations, that he as informed about the widespread abuse of office by Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva from her victims, the outgoing Prime Minister Zoran Zaev came up with a claim that he received such reports and forwarded them to the state prosecutors who are now investigating Janevea. Dimitrov did no such thing, and VMRO-DPMNE official Aleksandar Nikoloski today called on him to resign until an investigation into his actions can be held.
The Ministry, in response, calls on the public to “stop spreading lies that damage the reputation and the integrity of the Minister”, as he is “not connected with the racketeering scandal in any way”.
The discussion with the Latvian Ambassador took place in March 2019. And yet, as late as July Dimitrov kept insisting that he was not informed of the scandal by an EU member state. In August, as Janeva was being charged and a dozen of top SDSM party officials were being named as her close friends and potential accomplices, Dimitrov mused that “he had a premonition of sorts” and therefore never met with her associate Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13. He did not inform the public that it was not a premonition but a specific warning from the diplomat of an EU member state, which should have been investigated the moment it was received by Dimitrov.
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