Lawyer Aleksandar Tortevski, who was a former adviser to Katica Janeva, blasted Prime Minister Zoran Zaev for meeting with her defense lawyer. Zaev himself declared that he met with lawyer Irena Frckoska, and discussed Janeva’s strategy to get out of detention.

It’s normal for the defendant to use her lawyer to work to improve her position. It is not normal to approach the Prime Minister with that request. And it is even less normal that the Prime Minister agrees to discuss the issue, Tortevski said.

Ever since the first arrest of her associates in mid July, it was widely presumed that Janeva is negotiating with the Government for ways to protect herself from legal consequences. Now that she gave a controversial and very likely illegal order that her cases are given to the OJO/PPO office of prosecutors, a move seemingly coordinated with Zaev’s Government, the public is awaiting to see what Janeva will get out of it. Zaev reportedly told opposition officials during their meeting earlier this week that Janeva will be released from prison within 10 days.