Skopje, 10 July 2024 (MIA) - President of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption Tatjana Dimitrovska said Wednesday that the Commission has opened cases after receiving a complaint on the appointment of the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Agency and after a complaint submitted by the Minister of Interior regarding actions taken by the former MoI Deputy Minister, adding that an analysis of the documentation on these cases is underway.

"The State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has received two cases, i.e. two complaints - one refers to the appointment of the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Agency. Also, a complaint was submitted by the Minister of Interior regarding actions taken by the former Deputy Minister. Cases have been opened for both complaints, documentation has been requested and submitted. An analysis of the documentation is underway. We will make a decision regarding these two cases. We give priority to such cases, because one of them concerns suspected violations of the Electoral Code and the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, while the other case concerns fulfilment of conditions for the appointment of a deputy director," Dimitrovska said in response to a question by SDSM MP Slavjanka Petrovska at Wednesday's session of the Parliament's Committee on Political System and Community Relations.

Addressing the session on Wednesday, Dimitrovska presented the Annual Report on the work of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption for 2023.

On June 28, President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova appointed Ivana Stojanovska as the new Deputy Director of the Intelligence Agency. According to some media reports, Stojanovska does not have the necessary years of work experience in the relevant fields to be appointed as the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Agency. 

In addition, Dimitrovska told Wednesday's session among other that the lack of budget funds, equipment and insufficient staffing affects the work of the Anti-Corruption Commission.

"The report on the budget of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption for 2023 identifies the following situations - the funds for wages and benefits cover over 81 percent of the overall budget, funds for goods and services account for 16 percent, while funds for capital expenditures are only 3 percent, which shows that improving the functioning of the Commission requires additional funds for capital investments and for current needs of the institution. The lack of funds and equipment significantly affects the work of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. Without sufficient investment in institutional capacity, it is particularly difficult and challenging to meet our statutory obligations with the necessary efficiency and accountability," Dimitrovska said. 

This, she added, is particularly important in terms of fulfilling our mission of fighting corruption and ensuring integrity in the public sector.

Photo: MIA archive