Default interest can never be a detriment to the budget, agree three of the candidates for chief of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In a debate show on A1.on with Vilma Ruskoska, Desa Paunovska and Ermon Eseni, among other things, they answer questions about the “Toplik” case.

In the “Toplik” case, which was inherited by the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime from the SPO, for the construction of the “Sunny City” complex, four defendants were convicted precisely for default interest which was paid from the Budget to the company “Sun City” as interest for a terminated contract.

Default interest can never be a detriment to the budget, and this is confirmed by judgments from the Supreme Court. If there is no damage, there can be a case only if there are elements of another criminal act, but not of abuse of paragraph 5, says prosecutor Desa Paunovska.

It’s all about determining the real damage, after that if they demand interest or default interest, it’s already a matter for the State Attorney’s Office to represent the interests of the state. Default interest cannot be damage to the budget, replies Ruskoska.

Dimitar Dimovski, Maricsa Taseva, Dimitar Gacev and Vesna Tomcevska were sentenced in exactly the opposite way.

Former Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakieski was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months for the “Toplik” case, where he was prosecuted by the Prosecutor’s Office for abuse of official position and authority.

Dimitar Dimovski, Marica Taseva, Dimitar Gacev and Vesna Tomcevska, all members of the Commission that conducted public bidding for “Sunny City”, have been sentenced to suspended sentences of two years in prison if they commit another crime in the next five.

In addition to this, the convicts have to pay the damage of about one million euros, money that the state paid to the company “Sun City”, as interest for the terminated contract for the construction of the “Sunny City” complex.

The prosecution was represented by prosecutor Burim Rustemi, who was satisfied with the sentences except for Dimovski’s sentence, which he announced that he would appeal.