Former Macedonian PM Gruevski "disappears"

His party, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, says that he is not with them.

Gruevski did not respond to serving a two-year prison sentence, which is why the police are now searching for him.

Gruevski was sentenced to two years in prison for abusing official position to illegally acquire an armored Mercedes.

MIA agency reports that the general secretary of the VMRO-DPMNE said at a news conference late on Monday, held at the party's headquarters, that the search for Gruevski was "classical abuse of police for partisan goals" and "a chase and a witch-hunt against everyone who thinks differently."

"If the police have an order and really suspect that Nikola Gruevski is at the headquarters (of the party), they can freely come and check. This political persecution, nothing more, nothing less," Igor Janusev said.

He added that he "does not know where Gruevski was," and that the former Macedonian prime minister "did not personally contact him for more than eight months."

It is also reported that Janusev complained to the press that the police had checked his vehicle as well.

The warrant for Gruevski was issued after several unsuccessful attempts to serve him a court decision the prison sentence on Friday and on Tuesday, when the deadline expired, the Macedonian media reported.

Gruevski appears as a suspect in another three cases opened by the Special Prosecution.

His passport was taken away on July 3 last year.

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