Expenses Scandal Rocks Macedonia's Anti-Graft Commission

Goran Milenkov, a member of Macedonia's Anti-Corruption Commission and its former head, tendered his irrevocable resignation to parliament on Monday, amid an unfolding scandal about dubious spending by Commission members.

Milenkov did not state the exact reason for his resignation, which comes days after he said on Friday that he felt "no moral responsibility" for the affair and does not intend to resign.

He then claimed there was "no corruption" in his commission and said suspected that the allegations were a form of "political pressure" directed against him and his colleagues, instigated by the new government elected last May.

Unofficially, unnamed sources told Telma TV on Monday that the current head of the commission, Igor Tanturovski, was also preparing his resignation. BIRN was unable to reach Tanturovski for comment either.

Media last week published a recent revision report carried out by the State Revenue Office, which noted several cases of dubious spending.

The report alleged that some members of the body of seven members who were elected in April 2015 had been reporting unrealistically high travel costs.

It said also that during supposed travels abroad they were also registered as regularly attending their offices.

Another part of the report stated that commission members were reimbursed for renting temporary lodging, which was three times more expensive than the regular market prices.

The Prosecution Office said it has already "ex officio" formed a case to investigate these and other suspicious expenditures.

Milenkov, who was the first to resign, became known to the wider public last year for refusing to disclose the assets forms of the then outgoing government officials,...