Appeals court has until August 31 to rule on Gruevski’s "Talir 2" acquittal, says SDSM
SDSM urges Skopje Appellate Court to accept prosecution’s appeal against the July acquittal of former premier Nikola Gruevski.
The SDSM opposition says the Skopje Appellate Court has until August 31 to decide whether to overturn the first-instance acquittal of former prime minister Nikola Gruevski in the "Talir 2" case, and urged the court to accept the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office's appeal.
At a press conference SDSM General Secretary Aleksandar Saša Dimitrijevic called on the court to act immediately so the appeal can be resolved before the deadline.
Appeal seen as a chance to correct a judicial error
SDSM officials accused the first-instance verdict — which also rejected confiscation of VMRO-DPMNE’s headquarters — of being the product of a politicized judiciary under the influence of Hristijan Mickoski. The party says the Appellate Court can now remedy the alleged injustice by reversing the July ruling.
“The Skopje Appellate Court should issue a decision to overturn the first-instance acquittal of Gruevski — there are only a few days to decide, until August 31, and therefore it should immediately proceed with the Prosecutor’s appeals,” Dimitrijevic said at the conference.
As background: the Basic Criminal Court Skopje issued an acquittal for Gruevski in July in the "Talir 2" case, which concerns unlawful financing and the construction of VMRO-DPMNE’s party headquarters. The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office Skopje filed an appeal against that judgment.
Photo: SDSM
