Skopje, 29 May 2023 (MIA) — The Judicial Council works in line with the law and its authority granted by the Law on the Judicial Council, according to the Judicial Council at its Monday meeting where it dismissed the allegations of Dutch Ambassador Dirk Jan Kop that the new Judicial Council head had been elected in an illegitimate procedure, which the ambassador said was the reason the Netherlands was putting on hold its funding for a four-year project related to the Judicial Council.

"The head of the Judicial Council was elected at a session with the required number of votes set forth in the Law on the Judicial Council. The Council called on the authorities to investigate all allegations of corruption," a press release from the Judicial Council said.

The four-year project funded by the Netherlands focused on the areas of efficiency, accountability, transparency and regional cooperation – and was currently in its third year, the release added.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe on Sunday, Ambassador Kop said the Netherlands was putting on hold a project related to the Judicial Council, which he said had become illegitimate.

Asked about recent developments in the judiciary, Kop said the Netherlands was following the situation closely. He said the judiciary was part of the EU's highly important Fundamentals cluster, which was to be opened first and closed last. However, he noted, it was a "very bad development" that Special Prosecutor's Office cases were getting bogged down in the courts.

"Now we have the case of Judicial Council, which has become an illegitimate body," he continued, adding that its work was "really painful to watch."

Kop also said the situation was very serious and it led to the Netherlands putting on hold a large project it was doing with the Judicial Council. mr/