Skopje, 17 December 2024 (MIA) – Former deputy prime minister Artan Grubi has left the country for Kosovo together with a businessman in a diplomatic vehicle shortly before the police raid related to the investigation into misappropriation of over EUR 8.2 million from the State Lottery's budget. 

The businessman who transported Grubi to Kosovo in his vehicle with diplomatic license plates shortly before the start of the police operation, as Telma learns from sources in the investigation, is Arsim Papraniku, a successful businessman in the region and owner of Neptun.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told a TV21 interview on Monday that Grubi has left the country for Kosovo in a diplomatic vehicle alongside another person.

“Based on my information, the former head of State Lottery has been out of the country for quite a while. While the former deputy prime minister left Macedonia and headed to our northern neighbor, Kosovo, on Sunday, alongside a businessman in a vehicle with diplomatic license plates,” Mickoski said.

Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski said Monday a former prime minister and first deputy PM were part of the investigation into the State Lottery case.

"Criminal charges have been pressed against eight individuals, including a former PM, a former deputy PM, a former director of the company and a former secretary general. Two persons are currently not available to law enforcement," Minister Toshkovski told a press conference.

A pretrial judge at the Skopje-based Criminal Court, upon a proposal from the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office, has ordered precautionary measures against four people involved in the investigation into the State Lottery case.  

Also, a proposal has been submitted on ordering a detention measure against two people. 

"In addition, a proposal has been submitted to a pretrial judge on ordering a detention measure against two persons involved in the same investigation, which shall be implemented from the moment they are available to law enforcement," adds the Criminal Court.  

The measures come after prosecutors on Monday ordered an investigation against two persons suspected of committing a crime of Misappropriation in Office, while four others are investigated over Abuse of Office. The two individuals, in the capacity of officials in the State Lottery, took part in actions with the intention of unlawfully acquiring assets estimated at about Mden 500 million (EUR 8.1 million) from the company's budget.

Interior Minister Toshkovski did not release any names, for reasons that the case was in its early stages. "The public knows who these persons are. I would publicly urge one of them, who said yesterday that he would voluntarily return to Macedonia, to do so, and enable institutions to do their job," said Toshkovski.

Asked about the ex-deputy prime minister being out of the country, Toshkovski said the person had left the country, adding that "I want to inform the public that lapses have been made by the border police, and an investigation is currently underway."

Ex-deputy prime minister Grubi, who was recently “blacklisted” by the U.S. Department of State, posted on Facebook late Sunday that he was on a private visit out of the country.  

"I travelled for a private visit today. Please do not make things up and speculate. I have been travelling regularly with my travel documents and my personal police detail has been notified of this," Grubi said in his post.

Several media outlets reported that Grubi has already hired a lawyer to represent him in the case.

On December 9, the U.S. Department of State designated former deputy prime minister of North Macedonia, Artan Grubi, and Enver Bexheti, Court of Appeals judge, for their involvement in significant corruption.

Photo: MIA archive