Skopje, 11 December 2024 (MIA) - Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski said Wednesday that former director of mining-energy complex (REK) Bitola, Vasko Kovachevski, who is a suspect in the "Additives" operation, is currently out of reach for law enforcement agencies but they would do everything in their power to make him face justice.

"This person is enlisted in the register of Macedonian nationals and has not applied for termination of the citizenship," Minister Toshkovski told reporters after reports related to the issue emerged yesterday.

Toshkovski said over 30 searches took place in offices, homes and other facilities, as well as opening of two safes of the detainees.

"The operation was comprehensive and I believe it is the largest one in Macedonia on record from the aspect of damage to the national budget during an energy crisis, when citizens and legal entities could barely pay their electricity bills, while at the same time people at high positions in state-owned companies and others who registered companies overnight suddenly start wholesale operations for this type of additives and make millions of it," said Toshkovski.

According to him, the public procurement bids for the additives were rigged, whereas the additives procured for thermal power plant Oslomej were barely used, whereas only five percent of the quantities were used in REK Bitola.

Nearly EUR 220,000 in cash have been seized in the operation and if suspicions are backed by evidence, then the money will be confiscated and put back in the budget.

"The preliminary damages are estimated at EUR 6.5 million but I would not stop there. There are also suspicions that the five percent of additives used in REK Bitola caused damage to the blocs. If this proves to be true, then the damages will have to be paid as well," added Toshkovski.