Experienced former judge Vladimir Tufegcic sternly criticized the move by the Zaev regime to seize on the preliminary report by state prosecutors about the Tetovo Covid hospital disaster that killed 14 patients and family members. Zaev used the report that ignores failures in the construction of the improvised hospital, to declare his Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce blameless for the disaster.

It is unacceptable that a politician elevates one partial piece of material evidence. All evidence needs to be judged at the end of the full investigation, and in line with all other evidence. But, with these actions, politics is interfering in what should be an independent and unbiased investigation, and completely compromises it. The fault for the deaths of 14 people is reduced to a simple electric extension cord, Tufegcic said.

The fire apparently started from a wiring issue when doctors were using a defibrilator on the 15th victim – who died just before the fire. This and 18 other such hospitals were built under a crony contract that Zaev and Filipce awarded to former Deputy Prime Minister Koco Angjusev.