Borce Ginoski, an SDSM activist, was in the news last week after threatening to throw journalist Branko Geroski in the Vardar river. Geroski raised the issue with the SDMS party, met with President Stevo Pendarovski and demanded police intervention, after which Ginski apologized. The threat was sent as Geroski is publishing a series of articles with allegations of widespread corruption in SDSM.

The episode, though, prompted employees of the Macedonian Railways to make additional revelations into how the Ginovski family uses its clout in the ruling SDSM party. Borce Ginoski’s father Toni Ginoski, Republika was told, is am influential member of the SDSM party security detail, and has used this to advance himself in the public Railways company.

Two years ago, as SDSM seized power, Toni Ginovski was promoted from a boiler man to the often crucial position in any public company – the manager’s driver – which frequently translates into fixer for he main man. In this capacity, employees say that Toni Ginovski quickly turned into a despotic ruler of the company.

You see him barge into our offices, makes on the spot decisions to demote employees. He threatens people with beating or with re-assignment in a field office known as “Siberia”. Even the general manager is afraid of him, Republika was told. Photographs with Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski have granted Ginovski sufficient clout to act this way.

Borce Ginoski’s Facebook profile showed numerous comments by him that he can’t wait to have his party in power. With the 2017 powergrab the son’s fortunes turned and he was soon employed in the Macedonian Railways, likely owing to his father’s influence.