Organized crime prosecutor Vilma Ruskoska asked for time to investigate the two audio leaks that implicate Zoran Zaev in the Racket scandal and in serious political interference in the judiciary. I sounds like a reasonable thing to do, but it is in stark contrast with the practice employed by prosecutors, most notably the disgraced former Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, when it was Zaev who was publishing such leaks in 2015, and referred to them as “bombs”.

Zaev’s “bombs” were taken at face value by Janeva and other prosecutors, despite the fact that long portions of them were clearly lacking, the context was off, and they were recorded without a warrant that would’ve ensured the most basic authenticity. Ruskoska confirmed the expectations in the media that similar leaks will continue to surface about Zaev in the run up to the elections.

I expect new tapes every two or three days. I will not file charges for each of them, but all of them will be treated under one investigation. As soon as I receive them, I order the forensics teams to examine them, Ruskoska said.

In Zaev’s case, his tapes were accepted as evidence, even after his main security adviser, former UBK secret service chief Zoran Verusevski, acknowledged that they were heavily modified and edited. Zaev since rammed a law through Parliament that would ban the use of wiretaps as evidence in the future – clearly anticipating that his crimes and corruption will soon be revealed before the public.