Skopje, 17 October 2023 (MIA) – The Skopje-based Appellate Court has upheld the appeals of the defendants in the 'Toplik-Sun City' case, annulled the first-instance verdict and returned the case to the Skopje-based Criminal Court for retrial.

The Appellate Court notes that the invalid decision will be published in its entirety on the website of the court, in accordance with the Principle Position of the General Session of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Macedonia datd 21.12.2022.

In April 2022, the Skopje-based Criminal Court sentenced first defendant in the 'Toplik' case - former Transport and Communications Minister Mile Janakieski, to three and a half years in prison. Five more people from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, who were members of the Ministry's public bidding commission, were also accused of abuse of office and authority. Furthermore, the president of the commission for public bidding, Tome Gjurchilovski, was sentenced to three years in prison, while the other accused members of the commission received suspended prison sentences of two years. 

The case dubbed 'Toplik' was opened by the Special Prosecutor's Office (SPO), involves the illegal selling of state-owned land in order to construct a residential area, Sun City, in the Municipality of Sopishte. According to the indictment, former Transport and Communications Minister Mile Janakieski knew that the public announcement requirement regarding the selling of the land had not been fulfilled, however, he still formed a new public procurement commission and instructed its members to issue the call for tenders. The irregularities resulted in damages to the state budget. 

Photo: MIA archive