Skopje, 10 October 2025 (MIA) — The Bitola Court council has accepted the appeal lodged by the Bitola Public Prosecutor's Office against the court's previous decision to order house arrest for an executive at the mining and energy combine REK Bitola and for Borche Markovski, the owner of Markovski Kompani, the prime suspects in a procurement abuse case. The court has now ordered the arrest of Markovski, according to an official press release.

Earlier Friday, prosecutors requested the court should order the arrest of the two suspects, considering they pose a flight risk. Markovski has considerable property in another country, the Bitola PPO said.

Earlier this week, the Bitola PPO launched an investigation against eight individuals and one legal entity for prolonged criminal offenses related to public procurement at REK Bitola.

Five officials at REK Bitola, including the then-director of the combine and four managers and directors in its mining division, are suspected of jointly committing the prolonged criminal offense of “misuse of official position and authorization” during 2023 by failing to fulfill their official duties with the intent to benefit another party, thereby causing damage to the plant through a public procurement involving the Oslomej mine.

“In defining the conditions for public procurement, they violated the principles of proportionality and competitiveness, enabling one company, the suspected legal entity, to appear as the sole bidder and sign a contract, thereby unlawfully gaining substantial financial benefit,” the Prosecutor’s Office said. 

The legal entity, its owner and another employee of the company Markovski Kompani are suspected of knowingly submitting invoices for work that was not performed, through which they unlawfully charged REK Bitola Mden 106.200.000 (EUR 1.7 million) including VAT, thereby committing the prolonged criminal offense of “abuse of an open call procedure, awarding of public procurement contract or public-private partnership.” ad/mr