SPPO to premier with the ‘Coup’ case

By Тео Блажевски On Jan 14, 2016 0

Courtroom, Court of First Instance, Skopje 1.

‘Coup’ is among the 34 cases that the Special Public Prosecutors Office (SPPO) deemed to fall under its purview and will be processed further. The case should be the first to actually be heard in court.

The ‘Coup’ case is the result of 5 arrests and subsequent charges of espionage, cooperation with foreign secret services, and blackmail and threats against key state officials. The only one to be “spared” protective custody was Zoran Zaev, the leader of the opposition, fourth indicted in the charges.

The 34 cases stem from the illegitimate tracking of communications which included politicians, public personalities and ordinary citizens. The prosecutors from the SPPO will present the ‘Coup’ case in the Basic Court Skopje 1 in six days.

From what we know so far, it is certain that the case will proceed where it stopped at the last hearing, which Zaev did not attend. He had previously stated that he intends to appear in court only after the SPPO takes over the case.

Besides Zaev’s appearance in the courtroom, several outcomes may be expected on December 21^st: the SPPO may maintain the charges levelled by the Public Prosecutors Office (PPO) and the Organized Crime Sector, the charges may be dropped entirely or they might be amended – expanded or diminished by dropping certain counts from the indictment.

The defence also expects the SPPO will request the release of the two remaining detainees, as the grounds for their placement in custody are no longer valid. Zoran Veruševski and Gjorgji Lazarevski remain in detention, the two other suspects having been released at the end of July.

In the past three days, Vistinomer twice queried the SPPO on their general approach in this case, yet our curiosity remains unsatisfied.

“We do not wish to comment on our approach towards the ‘Coup’ case at this junction. You will be duly informed of any further developments,” was the brief response provided by the SPPO.

Sources :

Radio Free Europe, accessed on 14.12.2015
Prizma, accessed on 14.12.2015

Meta, accessed on 14.12.2015

Truthmeter, accessed on 14.12.2015
Nova TV, accessed on 14.12.2015

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