Wiretapping scandal set 29: The murder of Martin
From these wiretapped conversations we find out how VMRO-DPMNE “managed” the entire situation regarding the murder of Martin Neshkoski via its main players and how they have hidden the truth from the public. Plus, we unveil the problems caused by Gruevski’s personal security guard, but also that Gruevski himself knew about the case and did not take any measures to swiftly solve it.
This set of wiretapped conversations is dedicated to the cover up of the truth by the government regarding the murder of Martin Neshkoski. The huge citizens’ protest occurred right after the recordings were played on 5th May last year, and it was suppressed by immense police brutality.
The first three conversations happen a day after the murder. First, we hear Gordana Jankuloska and her deputy for public relations, Ivo Kotevski. He refers to the journalists who ask him about the murder as “talents” and “idiots”, and he makes a conclusion that the whole situation is a rumor which is “trivial”. Jankuloska and Kotevski establish that they should not give answers about this case one day after the elections. “Today is a winning day” Jankuloska says. Later, she talks with Martin Protugjer, Gruevski’s chief of cabinet, who is asking her how they should respond regarding the case, and the Minister tells him that there has been no murder, the autopsy showed no traces of violence and the case is not reported at all, and Kotevski made a statement about all this during the day, and he is going to send it to “their” TV stations – Sitel and Kanal 5. Jankuloska also says that the murdered Martin Neshkoski is “most likely a drug addict”. This is enough for Protugjer so and he ends the conversation.
Then, again, Kotevski and Jankuloska talk about controlling the situation. He says that one thing he can do is to solicit from the public and the media “not to speculate”, despite such move is too “slimy” for him. He also says how this request will be formulated “You do not claim they are not Alphas. Instead: please, do not publish that they are Alphas. I find it… too slimy”. He admits that they are pressured and also says that they cannot make a correct identification, and then he explains how the police interrogation went. He adds that he found out from Ivica that the autopsy showed that Neshkoski has been “properly” hit.
NOW THEY WANT TO PROMOTE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM…
In the conversation between Jankuloska and Protugjer, she solicits from him to “handle” Netpress, which “pushes this topic too far alongside with Gero”. Protugjer says that he will immediately intervene at Netpress, because “they might think that now is the time to promote investigative journalism, but this should not be the case for that”. They also reveal what Urko has said, that the murderer was probably a member of the “Tigers”, and Jankuloska says that the murderer is “less likely to be a cop, if there is 1% possibility that he is a cop, then he’s theirs”.
Afterwards, in the conversation between Jankuloska and Sasho Mijalkov, we hear him saying that it has been determined that the murderer is from the Special Tasks Unit (STU), he hit Neshkoski “severely, but not on purpose, and this one died”. He also reveals that the murderer, who we all found out later that is Igor Spasov, has been summoned upon oral order. Then Mijalkov says that the murdered boy is “a junky”, so he is going to be made culprit, and that the murder was not intentional. This conversation occurs before Ivo Kotevski’s statement made in a press conference, and Mijalkov tells Jankuloska to inform the Prime minister about what they have agreed.
Next, we hear a conversation between the then Minister and Protugjer, in which we hear that both know that Martin Neshkoski was “one of theirs from Karposh”. She cannot believe how Urko (head of Gruevski’s personal security guard) could give an oral order for securing in a unit in which he is not in charge. Jankuloska admits that the murderer from the “Tigers “has beaten the hell out of” Neshkoski. Protugjer is uptight because they did not admit what has really happened, so now they will have to think of an excuse. Jankuloska, on the other hand, is uptight because they “lost” a lot due to this case, and even “the fame” for the arrest of Ljube Boshkoski “fails” due to the murder. She also says that she is disappointed because everyone should stay quiet because of this and nobody could make any triumphal statements.
Then Jankuloska and Kotevski arrange how to make a “counter attack” for the protests, and to engage Aleksandar Bichikliski, who “is close to suspicious guys” to go and light a candle for the murdered man, nicknamed the Postman, in front of SDSM’s headquarters – because, as we find out, he was close to the wife of the Postman. The idea behind this plan is that Bichikliski “will remind the commies” that they murdered somebody too. Jankuloska refers to the murderer Spasov as “idiot, mooncalf”, “your brain has to be put in a jar” to even think of doing such a thing. Kotevski says that they were feeble-minded because they did not react the first day.
GRUEVSKI’S PERSONAL SECURITY GUARD “WAS SHAKING” IN THE MOI
Afterwards, from a conversation between Jankuloska and Protugjer we hear that there has been a parallel security structure within the MOI, managed by Gruevski’s personal security guard, which knew about all this but did not tell anything, and according to Protugjer they were supposed to tell immediately. Urko has said that they did so “in order to figure out what they are supposed to do”. Jankuloska is annoyed that the murderer stated that he did not beat Neshkoski, whereas the boy’s dead body was “swelled”. Protugjer says that he had a conversation with Gruevski and agreed to close this topic. Jankuloska says that she is going to pressure Urko, whereas Protugjer says that Gruevski has said that “they lie a lot”, referring to his bodyguards. Then, they state that Urko lied about the physical appearance of the murdered boy who according to Urko was “a strapper”, whereas Jankuloska says that he was like “a rod”. Moreover, we hear where Spasov was previously employed, how “Hitler” did not want to say that the police’s special forces were engaged for securing the event and Jankuloska states “we’ll be stuck even deeper” thinking of the MOI. We hear that “Hitler” must be imprisoned because he allowed the engagement of a special force member by somebody else, who by the way was dressed in a regular outfit. Protugjer comes up with Solomon’s judgement – to be said that the murderer attended the celebration privately, and Jankuloska says that’s impossible, because they have already said that he has been given an oral order.
In a conversation between Jankuloska and Kotevski, we hear Kotevski’s desperation because they did not come up with the first variant immediately, because with what they have done, they went even deeper and it becomes clear that they have been lying. He also says that Spasov “is acting like a fool”, that Spasov stated that he is not the one and he did not turn himself in. Kotevski adds that of all thing needed for court they only have an admission and nothing else. In addition, he says that Sitel TV station is assisting them in this situation by “pushing”, “and the others are doing something here and there…” He emphasizes that if it turns out that Spasov is not the killer “they monkeyed them, that there is no ground for a charge”, and the media defending the government won’t have arguments. Jankuloska describes Spasov’s admission as chaotic, saying that he was changing the details admitted… We also hear that no official note was authored in the MOI regarding the admission, however there must have been. Jankuloska also reveals the creation of lies that are supposed to be broadcasted on Sitel TV station, that Neshkoski has been stealing drinks from a bar… Latas said all that, and Jankuloska believes that this variant is utterly stupid…
A PHONE CALL FROM KUMANOVO
Afterwards, Jankuloska and Kotevski talk about the additional covering up of the truth, and he suggests help for Spasov and denying the admission that he received an oral order. Kotevski says the fact that the order was oral can be helpful, because there is no evidence that he has been summoned. Later, they actually tell the truth – Urko phoned the murderer, who was officially on duty in Kumanovo, where he should have been until 10PM.
At the end of this set, we hear Gruevski’s confirmation regarding his involvement in this covering up scandal. He knew that Urko lied to him about the murder, and he wanted to replace him, because Urko “lies through his teeth”. We hear that the “commies” missed one key thing – a special force member cannot be summoned orally. In this conversation Gruevski instructs Jankuloska to make a statement that the murderer has nothing to do with Prime Minister’s personal security guard, but he is a member of the “Tigers”, and to emphasize that the murderer has been taken to court hearing too… All of this is an attempt to cover up the government’s villainy – covering up of the murder from the beginning…
All of the “bombs” are here.
Press conference of Zoran Zaev, president of SDSM, in Skopje, 5 May 2015
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