Reactions in Skopje to the US sanctions of Artan Grubi and Enver Behxheti for corruption

In Skopje, there were reactions from the diplomatic corps and the political class regarding the designation by the State Department of politician Artan Grubi and judge Enver Bexheti for corruption. The US Ambassador to Skopje, Angela Aggeler, speaking at a press conference, announced that the possibility of additional sanctioning measures by Washington against former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi and judge Enver Bexheti is being considered.

The Ambassador said she hoped that this action by the State Department makes clear that the US can and will use all available means to hold accountable those individuals whose criminal actions undermine the security, stability, and values ​​of the government of North Macedonia.

"Corruption of any kind must not be tolerated in this country. Those who undermine the rule of law for personal gain and to the detriment of the people of North Macedonia must understand that corruption has consequences," said Ambassador Aggeler, emphasizing that the US will continue to hold corrupt actors accountable, while expressing hopes that the judiciary and law enforcement structures here will do the same.

"The citizens of this country deserve more than that," the ambassador said. She implied that other names were being considered for sanctions by Washington, but gave no further details.

Meanwhile, Mr. Grubi, just a few hours after the State Department announced his appointment, expressed himself on Facebook, emphasizing that this decision affects him directly and personally and that he will work with “friends and partners” to fully clarify this issue. He underlined that “transparency and commitment to democratic values ​​will continue to be the main pillars of every action of his.”

His party, the Democratic Union for Integration, issued a brief statement on Tuesday, emphasizing that it respects the decision of the US State Department.

"As a party, we remain committed to strategic cooperation with the United States and to strengthening democratic values ​​and transparency," the statement said.

The political rivals of Artan Grubi and the DUI, the exponents of the "Vlen" coalition, have welcomed the State Department's decision, describing it as a serious blow not only to Mr. Grubi but to the leader of the DUI himself, Ali Ahmeti.

"If DUI had the power to deal with corruption in its ranks, Artan Grubi would never have become Deputy Prime Minister in the government. If DUI had the power to deal with corruption in its ranks, Ali Ahmeti would have listened when we asked him to remove and expel Artan Grubi. If Ali Ahmeti had the power to stop Artan Grubi's momentum, to cut off the path to corruption, to stop Artan from cooperating with Sasho Mijallakovi and Nikola Gruevski, maybe DUI would not even go into opposition," said Izet Mexhiti, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Movement, part of the "Vlen" coalition.

Izet Mexhiti, who was a senior DUI official for about twenty years before leaving the party to form a new political entity, insisted on the removal of Artan Grubi from Ali Ahmeti's inner circle, but did not publicly accuse the party of involvement in corruption. Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said today that what his VMRO-DPMNE party has warned about long ago is coming true:

"In the coming period, there will be many confirmations of what we have had doubts about and will come to light," said Mr. Mickoski.

Judge Enver Bexheti, according to some media in Skopje, has participated in professional training organized by the US administration, something that Ambassador Aggeler does not deny, saying that the US has provided training for about 85 percent of this country's prosecutors and judges.

"We have spent half a billion dollars on the judiciary of this country and in return we have not received very good results for what we have invested," she explained.

A statement from the US State Department said that Mr. Grubi and Mr. Bexheti “took bribes to undermine the judicial processes related to the conviction of Sasha Mijalkov, director of the Security and Intelligence Agency of North Macedonia.” As part of this decision, the United States also designated as persona non grata members of the family of Mr. Grubi, a former senior government official from the Democratic Union for Integration.

In recent years, the State Department and the Treasury Department have identified several North Macedonian figures as involved in high-level corruption, such as former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, former President of the Special Court, Katica Janeva, former head of the secret service Sasho Mijalkov, former Deputy Prime Minister Koco Angjushev, the mayors of the municipalities of Struga and Karposh in Skopje, Ramiz Merko and Stevche Jakimovski, and businessman Orce Kamchev. /VOA