State Public Prosecution reviewing possible case on financing of 35th independence celebration

The State Public Prosecution is analysing whether to open a criminal case into how the 35th anniversary independence celebrations were financed, the State Public Prosecutor Nenad Saveski said today.

Saveski told reporters that the prosecution reviews each situation from a criminal-law perspective and will act if it finds grounds for action. "I heard that the Anti‑Corruption Commission has an open case, but their procedure is not tied to ours. Of course, every situation, including this one, is being analysed by the prosecution and if grounds are found, it will act," he said.

Opposition pressure and a separate anti‑corruption probe

The opposition has for a fourth consecutive day demanded that the prosecution open an investigation into the financing of the 35th independence celebration. So far, the Anti‑Corruption Commission has opened a file, but only regarding a potential conflict of interest involving Nikolche Micevski.

Micevski is a member of the commission that selected the company Stardast to organise parts of the celebration, and later appeared as a direct participant in the programme — credited as the author of the orchestrations during the José Carreras concert.

Questions have also been raised about the role of the State Lottery, which reportedly allocated more than half of its 2024 profit to the celebrations, and whether the shareholders' assembly authorised those transfers and whether the Ministry of Justice concluded the events were of public interest.

Separately, a public apology was made by Boban Milosheski of the production company Avalon to the outlet and to journalist Miroslava Simonovska, a development that was published alongside video material.

Photo: Sloboden pechat / Dragan Mitreski