PPO on Eurostandard Bank: Prosecutor’s Office is solely competent to issue order and conduct investigation procedure
Skopje, 23 August 2022 (MIA) – According to the Law on Criminal Procedure, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) is solely competent to issue an order and conduct an investigation procedure, the PPO said regarding the allegations and the report presented at Monday’s press conference by several people, including, the PPO added, a suspect in connection with the bankruptcy of Eurostandard Bank.
“Part of the allegations in this “private or independent investigation” were investigated in cases handled by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, regarding which, in accordance with the evidence, a meritorious public prosecutor’s decision was made,” the Prosecutor’s Office points out.
The PPO adds that after several criminal charges were filed in connection with the operation of the Kubus company – a construction company whose case was the starting point in the investigation, several public prosecutors from the Public Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption and from the Public Prosecutor’s Office have acted in order to establish the legally relevant facts.
“Based on the extensive written documentation provided and the verbal evidence collected, questioning of damaged parties and witnesses, and particularly based on the economic and financial expertise, checks in the National Bank and the Financial Intelligence Office, the public prosecutors established that the actions of those accused did not contain elements of the reported crimes nor elements of other crimes for which prosecution is undertaken ex officio,” reads the PPO’s press release.
The evidence provided and the expert findings, adds the press release, indicate that the reported natural persons didn’t use their official position and authority nor did they cross the limits of their official authority with the ultimate goal of causing damage to the legal entities Kubus and Kubus Engineering.
Given the interest of the public and the extent of the pre-investigation actions taken, the Prosecutor’s Office notes that immediately after the decision in this case was made in April 2021, it explained transparently and in detail all the established facts, adding that criminal charges regarding Kubus have been dismissed.
In addition, the Prosecutor’s Office said at the time that if anyone has additional evidence or knowledge of a crime committed, they can report to the Prosecutor’s Office which will then act in line with its competencies and carry out the necessary checks also taking into account the material reported.
As regards the bankruptcy of Eurostandard Bank, the Public Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption said it is investigating the responsibility over the bankruptcy, whereby after the checks were made which indicate that the bank has not acted in accordance with the measures imposed by the National Bank and has submitted inaccurate reports to the National Bank, the competent public prosecutor issued an order to conduct an investigation procedure against four persons from Eurostandard Bank who are suspected of committing a criminal offense – causing bankruptcy of a bank, under the Law on Banks, and a continued crime – money laundering and other proceeds of crime, under the Criminal Code.
The investigation in this case is ongoing, says the PPO, adding that after its completion, the Prosecutor’s Office will adopt an appropriate public prosecutor’s decision.
