SCPC opens probe into possible conflict of interest over 35th independence celebration funding

The State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) has opened a case to examine a possible conflict of interest linked to the state celebration of the 35th anniversary of independence, the commission's deputy chair said, while the Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed it is reviewing the matter from a criminal-law perspective.

Besnik Dzemaili, answering reporters' questions about the anniversary events, said the SCPC is following public reactions and calls for transparency but has not carried out a financial analysis of the spending. "There is no analysis of the spending for the celebration, but there is a case to examine a conflict of interest concerning one person who was mentioned as having been a member of the Commission and a performer during the celebration," he said.

Which aspects are under scrutiny

The commission's session today had a single agenda item—registering a person from Gevgelija in the lobbyists' register—while the larger question of the State Lottery's sponsorship of 4.8 million euros was not analysed by the SCPC. Dzemaili said the SCPC expects other investigative bodies to follow the case and act if they find grounds for criminal proceedings.

State Public Prosecutor Nenad Saveski said prosecutors are analysing every situation from a criminal-law angle and will act if they find legal grounds. "I heard that the Anticorruption Commission has an open case, but their procedure is not linked to ours. Of course, every situation, including this one, the prosecution analyses and if it finds grounds, it will act," he added.

The opposition has been demanding for four days that the Public Prosecutor's Office open a probe into how the jubilee celebrations were financed. So far only the SCPC has registered a case—into a potential conflict of interest involving Nikolche Micevski, a member of the commission that selected the company Stardast as event organiser and who later also appeared as a direct performer in the programme and as an arranger.

Left party Levica says the operation totals about 5.5 million euros and that narrowing the probe to a single individual ignores wider questions: the funding method, State Lottery corporate decisions, the single offer received, the rapid evaluation, contracts, payments and the whole timeline of negotiations. Levica also pointed to the State Audit Office's 2024 report, which expressed an adverse opinion on the Lottery's compliance with the law and flagged questionable transactions, missing documentation and potential misuse of funds.

SDSM reacted by saying the SCPC case regarding a commission member is only one angle and that a full criminal probe is needed to follow the money trail. The party accused the opposition leader of denying the scale of spending and called for full publication of records if the process was truly lawful.

Photo: press material from the event