Skopje, 19 March 2024 (MIA) - Defence Minister Slavjanka Petrovska welcomes the decision of the Anti-Corruption Commission to open a case into the procurement of helicopters, noting that there is nothing controversial in the process and that it has been conducted in accordance with the law.

Petrovska told TV21 Tuesday evening that the Ministry of Defence is ready to provide the State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) with all documents to aid in uncovering the truth.

“I welcome the decision of the SCPC, which has the right and obligation within its mandate whenever there are certain doubts in the public domain, within the scope of authority, to clarify them. Due to the fact that there is nothing controversial in this procedure, which has been conducted in accordance with the law and legal procedures, I personally commend such an action by the SCPC, and stand ready, as minister, and also the Ministry of Defence, to provide all documents that will help uncover the truth,” Petrovska said.

She emphasized that the process for procurement of helicopters began several years ago and is in accordance with the Law on Procurement in the Defence and Security Sector, which envisages a Government-to-Government contracting instrument.

She added that for all procurements, financial resources need to be planned, especially considering that in a large portion of procurements related to Government-to-Government contracts, substantial amounts of financial resources are involved. This leads to multi-year procurements, where the contract is executed, funds are disbursed over several years, and the equipment needs to arrive within a certain timeframe. As she stated, this procurement is scheduled for 2024.

She said that the Italian company "Leonardo" has been selected as the most favorable bidder for the procurement of new Army helicopters.

“When considering the offers, it is the task of the integrated project team, they don't just evaluate the performances. Performances are one of the conditions or categories they assess. We are currently using aircraft, helicopters from Eastern production. They must be phased out by 2032, their use must stop, and for that reason, we are not modernizing all of them, but only a few are operational,” Petrovska said.

She noted that two helicopters were sent to the Czech Republic for overhaul and they will be returned very soon, in March or April.

SCPC president, Tatjana Dimitrovska, stated in an interview with MRTV on Monday that a case has been formed regarding the procurement of helicopters from the company "Leonardo", and that after securing the factual evidence, they will make an appropriate decision.

Photo: MIA archive