NEWS OF THE DAY: Progress on Draft Law on Public Prosecutor’s Office

The Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs at the continuation of today’s session adopted ten amendments submitted for the Draft Law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. As the Chairperson of the Committee, Artan Grubi, informed, working groups are yet to agree on the remaining 41 amendments. Today the Committee will continue with the debate on the amendments, which can last no more than two working days.

The competencies of the SPO and of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office for organized crime and corruption should transfer to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for organized crime and high corruption, which will continue to lead the initiated proceedings in the phase they have been undertaken. According to the proposed legal text, the current public prosecutor for organized crime and corruption, Vilma Ruskoska, is proposed to continue performing her function as a public prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for organized crime and high corruption, until the end of her mandate. In the transitional and concluding provisions of the law, it is anticipated for it’s application to start from September 15 this year.

Two children left alone in a vehicle in Novo Lisice

The two children (a girl at the age of seven and a boy at the age of four) who were left alone last night in an automobile parked in the Skopje neighbourhood of Novo Lisice, who were taken by the police out of the vehicle upon a reaction of citizens and were taken with a vehicle of the Emergency Medical Assistance to the Paediatric Clinic, are in a good condition and are already placed in foster care. Based on evidence, the police are yet to decide for possibly revoking parental rights.

Council of Public Prosecutors decides to start procedure for dismissal of Janeva

The Council of Public Prosecutors today unanimously decided that conditions have been fulfilled for starting a procedure for the dismissal of Special Public Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who is in prison as a suspect in the “Racket” case.

The President of the Council of Public Prosecutors, Kole Shterjov, after the session, stated that a report will be prepared that will besubmitted to the Parliament, which is to further continue the procedure for dismissal of Janeva.

FLASH NEWS

The first meeting was held of the Working Group established by the Minister of Interior, upon a conclusion of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, which has the task to carry out an analyses of the current situation, to determine a specific model for carrying out the process of verification (vetting) of the employees in the Ministry of Interior. The Minister expects transparent, inclusive and objective vetting.

The trial for the violence in front of the Municipality of Center in June 2013, will continue on September 10, after today’s hearing was postponed due to the situation with Special Public Prosecutor Katica Janeva, who is in prison for the “Racket” case.

At the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, today and tomorrow is the first deadline for admission for undergraduate studies in the academic year 2019/2020. According to the competition of UKIM, there are a total of 10710 vacancies. Of them, 5402 in the quote for full-time students, 4273 in the quote for full-time students with co-financing of studies and 1035 for part-time students.

CIVILian activities

CIVIL is announcing a big September Elections Reforms Conference. All parties are invited to the Conference, but also all other stakeholders, according to the format proposed in the application form for participation. CIVIL will invite relevant experts and representatives of civil society and the international community. Participation is possible only by filling out the online application.

Today in the Old Skopje Bazaar, CIVIL at an info stand presented the project  “Green Future”, which it is implementing in cooperation with Heinrich Bǒll from Sarajevo.

The team of CIVIL Media carried out an interview on two major topics: local policies and practices with an emphasis on green policies, whereas in the second part it reflected on the current political situation in the country with the mayor of the Municipality of Kavadarci, Mitko Jancev. In the first part of the interview, Jancev criticized the Ministry of Environment, which he expects to make greater efforts in the future for protecting what we have, and then for us to start building and upgrading what is necessary.

OPINION

The role of Katica Janeva in the “Racket” scandal

Instead of being a guardian of law and justice, she became a protector of corruption in the country! Maybe the problem was in that there was no one to control the guardian! Prosecutors from the SPO responded and started to reserve themselves from their boss and started criticizing her work only after she was arrested, writes today’s columnist of CIVIL Media, Kosta Stoimenovski.

Biljana Jordanovska

Other authors: Dehran Muratov, Angela Petrovska, Kosta Stoimenovski