North Macedonia’s Outgoing Special Prosecutor Grilled in “Extortion” Affair

Organised crime prosecutors in North Macedonia grilled the outgoing chief special prosecutor Katica Janeva for four hours on Tuesday over her alleged involvement in the so-called 'Extortion' affair that has rocked the country for weeks.

The questioning was carried out behind closed doors. Emerging afterwards, Janeva said she had been summoned as a witness and felt "no guilt whatsoever".

"During an investigation, details are not revealed," Janeva told reporters. "I hope there will be a court process and we will see each other more often."

The scandal erupted in July when businessman Bojan Jovanovski and alleged accomplice Zoran Milevski were arrested on suspicion of extorting money from another businessman, Orce Kamcev.

It is alleged that they took cash from Kamcev in exchange for a promise to help him avoid jail or receive a lighter sentence in another case by using their alleged influence with Janeva's office, the Special Prosecution, or SJO.

Prosecutors seized Janeva's phones and she resigned in July albeit citing other reasons. She cited the inability of the political parties to agree on a new prosecution law that would solve the status of the SJO.

There was another twist on August 8 when an Italian newspaper, La Verita, began publishing recorded conversations allegedly between Kamcev and Jovanovski in which Janeva's voice could also be heard.

Janeva confirmed it was her voice but said she was negotiating with Kamcev over another unnamed case and that her actions were legitimate.

The affair has undermined the credibility of the SJO, created during a political crisis in 2015 to investigate high-level crime.

But it is also proving a major test for the current Social Democrat-led government of Prime Minister...