Skopje, 9 August 2022 (MIA) - The Public Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption has extended the investigation into former government secretary general Muhamed Zeqiri. It involves a new investigation into a suspected crime, the Prosecutor's Office told MIA. "The assigned prosecutor from the Public Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption based on evidence collected during an investigation opened in April 2022, ordered the opening a new investigation into the person. Namely, the government of the Republic of North Macedonia through the then secretary general had concluded a contract for consulting services to reorganize the state railway enterprise with a company without the legal procedures being respected when such contracts are concluded," said the Prosecutor's Office. The prosecution has charged Zeqiri with concluding contracts for consulting services without opening a public procurement procedure from April 2021 until January 2022 in his capacity as government secretary general. The contract was estimated at nearly EUR 941,985, more than the EUR 795,000 agreed for the consulting services. Zeqiri was sent into detention on April 9 before being placed into house arrest in June due to health reasons.