PM Mickoski accuses local prosecutor of aiding return of Borche Markovski’s passport, orders probe
Mickoski accuses a local prosecutor of complicity after the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bitola allowed the return of Borche Markovski’s passport; he demands an investigation.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said he has been following the case of the returned passport of accused Bitola businessman Borche Markovski and accused what he called "a gross manipulation by a local public prosecutor in the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office who is an accomplice in this process."
“This will not end that way,” Mickoski told reporters, and announced that an investigation will follow. He declined to name the prosecutor involved, saying he did not want to interfere with the forthcoming inquiry.
According to the timeline given by the prosecutors’ offices, Markovski — who is also an honorary consul of Belarus in the country — left North Macedonia after the Basic Court in Struga returned his passport, which had previously been seized as a precautionary measure. Markovski and seven other people are charged in a case connected to public procurement for the relocation of generating units from the Oslomej thermal power plant to the REK Bitola complex.
The Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Struga initially gave a negative opinion to the defense’s request to lift additional precautionary measures on 15.06.2026. After the defense submitted a renewed request, the case was referred to the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Bitola. A protocol was prepared after the referral, and the higher prosecutor concluded that the lower prosecutor should submit a positive opinion to accept the defense’s proposal to return the temporarily confiscated travel document.
The Higher Public Prosecutor justified the decision by saying that, with the provided guarantee, the circumstances indicating a risk of flight were excluded, and that the defense argued the accused owns a company in Serbia whose operations are at risk and that irreparable damage could be caused if he did not travel there shortly to sign documents. The Prosecutor's Office said that "all aspects of that decision and the corresponding argumentation will be examined."
Markovski’s lawyer said his client is in a "serious condition in Serbia" and that he is returning to North Macedonia tomorrow. The court decision allowing the return of the passport followed a guarantee posted by Markovski of EUR 5,000,000.
Mickoski also said he would not speculate with names because an investigation is to follow. “I will not speculate with names and surnames because there will be an investigation into this process,” he said, adding he would personally follow the case and guarantee that the matter would be pursued.
Photo: press material from the event
