Macedonia Prosecutor to Probe ‘Missing’ EU Cash

Prosecutor Marko Zvrlevski says he will soon launch an ex-officio probe, even if the two institutions who he says are primarily in charge of such cases, the Financial Intelligence Agency and the Financial Police, decline to do so.

“We have not received a notice from these two institutions, although legally they should react first, before we do,” Zvrlevski told Faktor news portal.

“If we do not get a notice by the end of this week, we will launch a procedure based on the allegations made in public,” he added.

The opposition Social Democratic Party, SDSM, on Monday said at least €3.5 million of €290 million, most of which is EU funds, approved for the construction of the highway from Demir Kapija to Smokvica, had gone missing through questionable cash withdrawals.

According to alleged bank documents that the party presented, Greek citizens on several occasions last year withdrew hundreds of thousands of euro in cash from the bank account of the Skopje branch of AKTOR ADG Greece, the Greek company hired to build the 28-kilometre stretch.

The party claims that the money was later given to the AKTOR accountant and had not left the country.

The government started constructing the last remaining stretch of Macedonia’s busiest motorway, part of the pan-European Corridor 10, two years ago.

About €130 million are a loan from the European Investment Bank, EIB, €107 million came from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, while another €45 million was granted under the EU's Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, IPA.

The Macedonian government has put in €6 million.

So far, no other Macedonian institution, except for the Prosecutor’s Office, has issued a...