Gordana Jankuloska

In a first-instance verdict, the Skopje Criminal Court on Friday found the former head of the secret police, Saso Mijalkov, guilty on all three accounts, of criminal association, abuse of office and receiving a reward for illegal influence, handing him a jail sentence of 12 years.

Macedonian authorities detained the country's former transport minister, Mile Janakieski, and the former government secretary general, Kiril Bozinovski, on Wednesday after their former boss, ex-prime minister Nikola Gruevski, fled the country to avoid a jail sentence.

The Skopje Criminal Court ordered 30 days of detention for both of them.

By the order of the Criminal Court in Skopje, Macedonian police on Monday confirmed that they had issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Nikola Gruevski who is to serve his two-year jail sentence.

This was issued after the Appeal Court last Friday rejected the former prime minister's appeal for a postponement of his sentence.

Macedonia's Criminal Court in Skopje on Friday rejected appeals filed by former prime minister Nikola Gruevski to postpone his two-year jail sentence for the illicit purchase of a luxury Mercedes.

"The decision has been sent to the parties in the case and will become executive right after the parties receive it," the ruling said.

The Criminal Court in Skopje confirmed on Friday that it has handed a 'referral act' to ex-premier Nikola Gruevski, saying he should start serving his jail sentence at the prison in Shuto Orizari, near Skopje, on November 8 at the latest.

Macedonia's former interior minister, Gordana Jankuloska, was jailed for six years on Monday in a first-instance verdict for "misuse of office", for her involvement in the illegal purchase of a luxury Mercedes in 2012 that the former prime minister, Nikola Gruevski, had used secretly.

Maceodnia's Appeals Court on Friday confirmed former prime minister Nikola Gruevski's two-year jail sentence.

Nikola Gruevski, Macedonia's former prime minister and former leader of the VMRO DPMNE party, was jailed for two years on Wednesday for "receiving a reward", in the form of a luxury Mercedes, after previously "illegally influencing" the other two accused to commit the illegal purchase of the vehicle.

The ruling was a first-instance verdict and Gruevski may appeal the sentence.

Macedonia's former ruling VMRO DPMNE party has removed several indicted former ministers and senior officials from its executive committee - although with ousted PM Nikola Gruevski still leading the party, the changes appear more cosmetic than substantial, observers say.

Within the next few days, Macedonia's Court of Appeals will review the decisions made by Skopje's Criminal Court not to allow the detention of Gruevski and some of his associates.

The Special Prosecution, SJO said on Tuesday it will start filing appeals against the Criminal Court's decisions on Wednesday.