Skopje, 8 February 2024 (MIA) – The new members of the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) took their oaths of office before the Speaker of Parliament, Jovan Mitreski, at a ceremony Thursday in Parliament.

The new composition of the SCPC consists of Tatjana Dimitrovska from the State Audit Office, as the new President of the Commission, as well as Basic Court judge Sofija Spasova Medarska, SCPC advisors Biljana Karakashova Shulev and Besnik Xhemaili, auditors Zoran Bogoevski, Cveta Ristovska and Demiri Servet as its new members.

The new President of the Commission, Dimitrovska, told media the Commission would work independently and objectively, and would not allow any pressure or influence.

“Of course, we, by ourselves as an institution, are not enough to guard against corruption, which generates many issues in society. You the media, as valuable stakeholders in the fight against corruption, also have the task to uncover, investigate, and of course, through your objectivity and unbiased approach, contribute to the uncovering of many suspicions of corruption. Then, the government institutions also play a very valuable role, perhaps the most valuable one, and, with their integrity and efficiency, they will contribute to the fight against corruption, then there are the citizens too. The international institutions are especially important as well, enabling exchange of information, which is of great importance for us, as SCPC,” said Dimitrovska.

Dimitrovska said it is an honor to work in an institution which has shown that it is built on high and professional standards, and, she said, they hope to contribute to the efforts to bolster the integrity of the state.

Asked about the issues frequently noted by the previous composition regarding other institutions who are expected to follow up on their work, such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Dimitrovska said first the new composition will have to assess the situation in order to identify the challenges they will face.

“However, the Public Prosecution is an exceptionally important link in this system. Also, for us, it is especially important that every initiative or every launched procedure ends with an enforced judicial verdict, which means we will strive to intensify that cooperation with the shared goal of preventing corruption,” said the new SCPC President.

On whether they have a plan on how to raise the level of implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, Dimitrovska said that through their work, through the media and the citizens they will insist on raising awareness in all government institutions over the need to solve this issue.

“The EC Report also noted that the SCPC plays a proactive role, providing guidelines and policies for the prevention of corruption. I will once again say that through our fight, through you, the media, the citizens, we will strive to raise awareness not only in the Public Prosecution which, of course, has its own authorizations, but also in the other government institutions, which means we will all fight together to tackle this issue,” said Dimitrovska.

Photo: MIA