It Is Not True That Filipce Went To a Beach in Greece Ten Days after the Fire in Tetovo
On September 19, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, wanting to devalue the Minister of Health, Venko Filipce, announced the following:
Venko Filipce and the Zaevi family, Zoran and Vice, are partners in crime and in taking vacation. We saw from the photos on social media that for Filipce and Zaev the Greek beaches are more important than the life of the 14 people that burned to death in Tetovo. But, ten days after the tragedy in Tetovo, where the modular hospital burned down, there are neither details about the deceased, nor their identity…
[Source: Sitel TV; date: 19 September 2021]
EXPLANATION:
This announcement of VMRO-DPMNE followed after photos appeared on the social network Twitter, on 18 September 2021, of the Minister of Health, Venko Filipce and the businessman Vice Zaev, brother of the Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, vacationing on a beach in Greece. The Twitter profile that shared the photos claims that Filipce and Zaev were on vacation “last weekend” (September 12-13).
Last weekend Vice Zaev and Venko Filipce at a tequila party in Pefkohori. pic.twitter.com/YBc1KUB4AA
— Nevidliviot (@Nevidliviot1) September 18, 2021
The photo was expressly republished by some portals such as Lider and Republika.
After such announcements, the ruling SDSM reacted by emphasizing that the photos of Filipce and Zaev were old and misused for manipulation.
These days, the center for manipulations of VMRO-DPMNE has capitulated. In despair, they publish photos from two years ago as current, in order to place announcements through which they shamelessly lie. The insidiousness and destructive behavior of VMRO-DPMNE led by Hristijan Mickoski reached its peak. It was confirmed once again that the citizens are not important for this party, nor is the health system, it is only important for them to try to earn a small political point even in times of great accidents, reports Factor.
VMRO-DPMNE reacted again:
Partners on vacation and partners in crime. VMRO-DPMNE is not the source of the photos of Vice and Venko from the Greek beaches, but it is the source of the undoubted conclusion that they are business partners, something that the party itself has acknowledged. It is good that SDSM recognized their authenticity, and that shows what criminal connections the Filipce-Zaev clan has. That is why the whole government rose up to defend Filipce, who is directly responsible for the burned hospital where 14 people died. Vice Zaev and Venko Filipce are the head and tail of the crime of this government.
It is true that SDSM acknowledged the authenticity of the photos, but also said that the photos are from two years ago, and not from “last weekend”, which VMRO-DPMNE initially abused to manipulate the public that the Minister of Health, ten days after the tragic fire in Tetovo, rested on a beach in Greece.
The office of the Minister of Health confirmed for “Truthmeter” that the photos of FIlipce and Zaev are several years old.
Having in mind all of the above, we assess the claim of VMRO-DPMNE that “Filipce vacationing on a beach in Greece ten days after the fire in Tetovo”, as untrue.
Assessed by: Ana Anastasovska
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This article has been produced within the project Fact-Checking the Progress of North Macedonia towards the EU, implemented by the Metamorphosis Foundation. The article, originally published by Truthmeter, is made possible by the support of the American non-profit foundation NED (National Endowment for Democracy). The content of this article is the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Metamorphosis, NED or their partners.
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