Macedonia Probes Claims About 'Forged' IDs

Macedonia's new opposition interim Interior Minister, Oliver Spasovski, said the police organized crime department was investigating allegations that at least 30,000 fake IDs had been produced in time for next year's early elections.

They were allegedly produced at two secret locations, in the town of Stip and in the Skopje suburb of Shuto Orizari.

The weekly magazine Focus on Friday claimed a person whose identity it could not reveal had given them 105 fake IDs, which they later handed to the police.

"These IDs probably exist in several towns across Macedonia? We informed the prosecution and there is an order for an expert check on these cards to see if they are indeed fake, and if so, who made them," Spasovski said.

Spasovski, who was appointed earlier this month from the ranks of the opposition, is tasked with leading the interior ministry in the government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski until the April elections.

The early elections form part of the EU-brokered crisis agreement reached this summer between Macedonia's political leaders.

According to the magazine, the IDs it was given were of lower quality than originals but contained valid personal identification numbers that exist on the electoral roll. That means they could be used for voting.

Up to six fake ID cards it was given contain the same picture but different personal data, which could potentially enable one person to vote six times.

Ljubisha Arsic, the journalist who wrote the story, said that several things add to the validity of the claims, starting with the fact that the source "handed in 105 IDs, which the police inspectors could recognize as fake with a naked eye."

He told Alsat M TV that the police seemed...

Continue reading on: