It is clear that the Racket scandal can not be limited to just the three currently accused individuals, and that Zoran Zaev’s link with the judiciary is being used to conceal the actual culprits, said VMRO-DPMNE spokesman Naum Stoilkovski after the latest revelations in the scandal. On the day of Zaev’s resignation as Prime Minister, the defendants began announcing their willingness to talk, and yesterday media leaks pointed to a “very close relative of Zaev” as a person heavily involved in the extortion of millions of euros.

Five persons very close to Zaev were involved in the Racket scandal

Stoilkovski followed up on one of the media leaks, in which five people from Zaev’s immediate circle were pointed out, and asked for appropriate action from the state prosecutors.

The Government and the prosecutors need to respond if the racketeering network includes the following: a “professor” who was a one time candidate for President of the country, and was lustrated for collaboration with the secret service; a foreign adviser who was dragged here by Zaev from Belgrade due to his experience in energy business manipulation; a journalist who worked in the 1TV television, and was even given a security clearance so he would get access to the police files of the people who were potentially targets of extortion; a close associate of Zaev from the leadership of the SDSM party – for her benefit Zaev created the office of deputy party leader; and his most trusted man, whose approval is required in all major business deals, Stoilkovski asked.

All five individuals pointed by journalist Branko Geroski are easily distinguishable by the public, but for legal reasons their names are not yet being published by most outlets. Stoilkovski said that these latest revelations point out to the fact that Zaev himself is the head of the extortion group.

Prosecutors are not allowed to hide information or to allow the defendants to repeat their crimes, influence witnesses or escape. What we are dealing with here is a criminal enterprise and there will have to be accountability, Stoilkovski added.