Iskra Hadzi Vasileva: Defence legal opinions in Gjoko Ristov case have no evidentiary value

Public prosecutor Iskra Hadzi Vasileva told reporters after today's hearing in the case against judge Gjoko Ristov that legal opinions submitted by the defence carry no evidentiary weight and cannot determine the court's ruling. She said the court must base its decision on facts and evidence produced in the proceedings, not on academic authority.

Prosecutor rejects academic memos as proof

“Today the defence presented material exhibits, among them linguistic interpretations and legal opinions given by professors under the cloak of some academic authority, but in essence this lowers the level of our legal culture, because legally and professionally they have no weight or significance. The court is bound by the facts and evidence produced at the hearing. Legal opinions presented as somebody’s authority really do not bind the court and it is indeed unserious to use them as evidence, because they are not evidence and cannot be evidence,” Hadzi Vasileva said, noting that she was chosen last week as head of OJO GOKK.

Defence lawyer Zvonko Davidovic told journalists that the defence withdrew some proposed witnesses because it was unable to contact them, and that their testimony would not have added new information to the case.

Davidovic also said the financial expert report requested by the defence is not yet finished but is in its final stage; it will include analysis of bank accounts belonging to six individuals.

The criminal proceedings concern about c350,000 found during a search of the family home in Negotino. Prosecutors have said the funds were not declared and their origin has not been supported by evidence. The trial is being led by Judge Biljana Kocevska.

Photo: press material from the event