Skopje, 6 November 2023 (MIA) – It is necessary to enhance the personnel and technical capacities of the prosecution and ensure that the profession is conducted responsibly and with integrity, assessed the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of good governance policies, Slavica Grkovska, and the country’s chief state prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski, at a meeting Monday.

According to a press release from Grkovska’s Office, the meeting was also attended by the President of the Council of Public Prosecutors, Dushica Dimitrieska, prosecutor Gavril Bubevski from the Skopje-based Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Natasha Godzoska, public prosecutor at the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje.

“Issues related to the digitization of the processes in the prosecution were discussed at the meeting, with Deputy Prime Minister Grkovska noting that the adoption of the new law on archival operations will largely facilitate the everyday operations of the prosecution. Grkovska also highlighted the need to make appropriate use of the assistance from donors in the field. In terms of the creation of an electronic system for case management, the attendees noted that such a system would need to be adapted to the specifics of the work of the prosecutors, while also aiming to reduce subjectivity in the distribution [of cases],” said the Office in the press release.

One of the topics at the meeting, according to the Deputy PM’s Office, was the issue of insufficient personnel at the institutions, in terms of a lack of prosecutors, IT staff, and others, which, the press release said, “complicates the work and performances of the public prosecutors”.

“Deputy PM Grkovska urged those present at the meeting to contribute to the assessment stage of the current strategy, and the drafting of the new strategy for financial investigations and confiscation of assets. The strengthening of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and increased use of confiscation of assets as an instrument in the fight against organized crime and corruption must be one of the priorities,” said the press release.

The meeting also discussed the issue of holding prosecutors accountable for unprofessional conduct in the line of duty. 

“Public Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski stressed that, regardless of the circumstances, the basic duty of the public prosecutors is to always conduct their professional duties in accordance with the legislation; without bias; fairly; with dedication; and in the shortest possible timeframe,” said the press release, noting that the chief state prosecutor informed that disciplinary measures have been launched against 12 public prosecutors since the adoption of the prosecution’s new Rulebook in 2021, with dismissals proposed for five of them.

Photo: Office of Deputy Prime Minister in charge of good governance policies