SDSM to file criminal complaint against Zoran Trajchevski over Arena M permission, Filipche says

The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) announced it will file a criminal complaint against Zoran Trajchevski, director of the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, over the way permission was granted for the broadcaster Arena M, party leader Venko Filipche said on Thursday.

Filipche accused authorities of treating Arena M as a foreign channel even though its program is produced and transmitted from offices at the City Stadium in Skopje, a practice he called illegal and harmful to the state budget.

Letters to EU leaders and allegations of a wider scheme

Filipche said letters to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and Commissioner Marta Kos are ready and will be sent during the day or, at the latest, tomorrow, together with the criminal complaint. "Yes, the letters are prepared and during the day, at the latest tomorrow, we will send them. It is clearly stated what our objections are," he said.

Explaining the reasoning behind the complaint, Filipche said the permission appears to have been granted as if Arena M were a foreign station, despite evidence that the channel produces and broadcasts its programs locally. He described that arrangement as unlawful and as an act that damages the public coffers.

Filipche also warned that those who enabled or instructed such spending will be held accountable. "Let Trajchevski and the one at the State Lottery who tell him what to do think twice, about spending public money and damaging the budget for the interests of the authorities. What are people doing? I publicly warned those people not to listen to Hristijan when he speaks to them, because they will be held accountable. There will be no mercy for anyone and the money will be returned," he said.

Photo: press material from the event