Macedonia Prosecution Probes Vice Prime Minister

Macedonia's Special Prosecution, SJO, said on Wednesday that it is investigating Vice Prime Minister Bujar Osmani, along with 14 other people, over several suspicious public tenders in 2010 while he served as health minister in former premier Nikola Gruevski's cabinet.

The SJO investigation, entitled 'Patient', alleges that Osmani approved a tender for the reconstruction of several hospitals in Macedonia despite the fact that the winning company offered higher prices than other bidders.

"Evidence shows that suspected members of the commission [in the health ministry] favoured the [Bulgarian] company GBS- Balgoevgrad, despite knowing that this bidder did not meet the tender requirements," the SJO said.

Osmani, who is now vice prime minister in charge of European affairs, said he was surprised and insisted he is innocent. He also said he would cooperate with investigators to "clear my name".

"I will be available [to investigators]," Osmani stated.

Osmani became part of the current government after the Democratic Union for Integration party shifted sides in 2017 and joined the new Social Democrats-led government. 

The case against Osmani is part of a series of six new probes launched on Wednesday, with prosecutors saying that the total cost to the state budget of the alleged crimes amounts to some 80 million euros. 

In one of them, former prime minister and right-wing VMRO DPMNE party leader Gruevski, as well as his former Transport Minister Mile Janakieski and his coalition partner Stevce Jakimovski, are being probed for allegedly allowing three Turkish nationals to acquire real estate in Macedonia.

In a third probe, entitled 'Propaganda', Gruevski is being investigated for alleged abuse of office and...