Mickoski: New Criminal Code will not apply retroactively, changes will cover future cases
Mickoski said the government sent draft amendments to Brussels and will proceed with debate and parliamentary procedure after the Commission’s opinion.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the amendments to the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code that his government has proposed will not be applied retroactively and will take effect only for cases initiated after their adoption.
Mickoski told reporters, after inaugurating the new kindergarten "Lavche" in the Gazi Baba municipality's Indzhikovo neighbourhood, that the government has forwarded the draft changes to the European Commission and will wait for Brussels' opinion before opening a domestic debate and starting parliamentary procedure.
He sharply criticised the versions of the two laws adopted under the previous SDSM–DUI coalition, accusing those authorities of having fast-tracked the bills under the cover of the European flag.
"In essence, we sent two laws to Brussels. One is the Criminal Code, and the other is the Criminal Procedure Code, or CC and CPC as lawyers popularly call them. These are laws that, during the government of SDSM and DUI, acquired a different form and substance. And you remember, back then they, abusing the European flag, in an expedited procedure in parliament, voted these laws through," Mickoski said.
New offence aimed at protecting the banking sector
Mickoski also announced a proposed new criminal offence targeting actions that endanger the security of the banking sector. He said that element was drafted on the basis of recent cases involving Stopanska Banka Bitola and Alta Bank.
The prime minister argued the new provision is intended to block political interference and obstruction in financial-market processes. He pointed to 2016–2017, under a technical government, when, he said, then-deputy finance minister Kire Naumov sent letters that obstructed a eurobond issuance and, according to Mickoski, caused higher interest costs and additional state expenses of several million euros.
"I think this is a good way to ensure that no politician will again misuse such an issue for political reasons," he added, urging that the government awaits the European Commission's assessment and that experts consulted in Brussels will feed into the parliamentary procedure thereafter.
Photo: Fejsbuk
