Nine charged in Kočani over bribery and falsified inspection reports

The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Kočani has filed criminal charges against three people and a criminal proposal against six more in connection with inspections by the Public Revenue Office at the Pulse nightclub in Kočani and related companies.

Two tax inspectors have been indicted for the criminal offence of receiving a bribe (Article 357 of the Criminal Code). One of the inspectors faces two counts. Prosecutors say the inspectors requested and accepted a pair of glasses and a wristwatch from a third person—who is charged with giving a bribe (Article 358)—so that they would inform him about unannounced, extraordinary inspections at companies where he was a responsible person.

Allegations of leaking, document falsification and budget loss

Despite knowing they were prohibited by law from disclosing information obtained in tax procedures, the first accused allegedly informed the third accused by Viber messages about actions by the Public Revenue Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs related to the named companies. That conduct is charged as disclosure of an official secret (Article 360 of the Criminal Code).

The two tax inspectors are also accused of abuse of official position and authority (Article 353). During a control of the legal entity where the third accused was the responsible person, on 06.03.2024 they found tax irregularities and undeclared turnover but did not record those violations in the inspection report. Prosecutors say this omission caused a loss to the budget of 98,400 denars in unpaid fines.

To conceal irregularities discovered during the inspection, the second accused is additionally charged with falsifying an official document (Article 361), allegedly falsifying the official inspection report. Separately, criminal proposals were submitted to the court against four more tax controllers and inspectors for abuse of office; one of them is additionally accused of document falsification.

Prosecutors also say an employee of the State Market Inspectorate disclosed when excise controls would take place, which is charged as revealing an official secret. The inspectors who carried out tax checks did so at entities where the real owner is the sixth accused in the case, who is the father of the person previously charged with giving a bribe. According to the filing, identified irregularities were not recorded and reports on the inspections were falsified so that statutory fines were not collected.

The criminal complaint originally included four additional persons: proceedings against two were stopped due to statute of limitations, and for two others the authorities found no evidence of committing the alleged offence or any other prosecutable act. The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Kočani prepared and submitted the charges and proposals to the court.

Photo: press material from the event