The Skopje-based Criminal Court sentenced another employee of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), who pleaded guilty at Friday’s trial, to one year and seven months imprisonment in the case dubbed ‘Dvojnik’ (Doppelganger) over unlawful issuance of passports to foreign nationals.
The defendant is the fifth employee of the MoI who pleaded guilty to the crime, after four other MoI employees and one “inciter” admitted guilt at the previous hearing.
The defendant was sentenced for abuse of office. Judge Olja Ristevska is presiding judge in the trial, and the prosecution is represented by Spasenka Andonova.
Prosecutor Andonova said Friday’s admission of guilt confirms the indictment in terms of actions taken, adding that the court should therefore find the defendant guilty.
The defense said the court should take into account that the defendant admitted guilt, as well as the defendant’s family and financial situation, and other mitigating circumstances.
Of the eleven individuals charged in the case, five defendants admitted guilt at the previous hearing on May 5, 2021. In addition, the court separated the proceedings against another defendant who was not present at the hearing due to health reasons but announced admission of guilt.
The court sentenced three defendants to a total of six years and ten months imprisonment, while a fourth one got a provisional sentence for abuse of office. A fifth defendant was also sentenced to 2 years and three months in prison for incitement.
The eleven defendants, ten of whom employed in the MoI Administrative Affairs Department, are charged with issuing passports under false identities to 214 foreign and one Macedonian national in the period between June 2017 and the end of 2020.
