Washington/Skopje, 10 December 2024 (MIA) – The U.S. Department of State said it has designated former deputy prime minister of North Macedonia, Artan Grubi, and Enver Bexheti, Court of Appeals judge, for their involvement in significant corruption.

According to Monday’s press release, Grubi and Bexheti had accepted bribes to undermine judicial processes tied to the criminal conviction of Sasho Mijalkov, director of North Macedonia’s Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK). 

“Mijalkov was designated in 2022 for significant corruption under Section 7031(c), and OFAC sanctioned him pursuant to E.O. 14033. As part of this action, Grubi’s immediate family members are also designated,” said the press release.

These actions are part of the global initiative for fight against corruption and human rights abuse, taken on International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of Human Rights Day.

Ex-deputy prime minister Artan Grubi said late Monday he had found out about being designated by the U.S. Department of State from media reports.

“As someone who has dedicated my public life to protecting Western democratic values and who has always worked hard for the country’s NATO and EU membership, this decision is affecting me directly and personally. I will commit fully together with our friends and partners, with whom I’ve been sharing the vision working hard over the years to integrate the country into Euro-Atlantic structures, to resolve this. Transparency and commitment to democratic values will remain being my main backbone of my every action,” he wrote in a post on social media. 

VMRO-DPMNE said the designation of Grubi and Bexheti by the U.S. Department of State is a proof of DUI’s partisanship of the country. 

“Enver Bexheti, the judge who had kept Mijalkov’s case in a drawer, shows that partisanship is dominant in the judiciary. Judges, backed by Artan Grubi and DUI, are slowly being blacklisted by the U.S.,” said VMRO-DPMNE in a statement. 

Welcoming the U.S. Department of State’s decision, SDSM said the party considers support of North Macedonia’s strategic partners in the fight against corruption as being key.

“All suspicions of corruption must be investigated and sanctioned without a compromise by the judicial bodies in North Macedonia. We encourage the entire judicial system in the country to work with dedication in solving all forms of crime and corruption so as to secure justice and equality for all,” the opposition party said. 

Welcoming the decision, the Alliance for Albanians called on Grubi and Bexheti to withdraw from political life and face the accusations as free citizens. “Individual accountability is the cornerstone of a modern, unbiased and democratic country,” said the party. 

In a post on X (former Twitter), U.S. Ambassador Angela Aggeler said the designation of Artan Grubi and Enver Bexheti is evidence that political interference in the judiciary cannot – and will not – be tolerated.  

“The United States will continue to name those who engage in significant corruption that undermines democratic institutions and corrodes public trust.  No one is above the law, and accountability is essential for progress,” she stressed. 

MIA file photo