Advisor at Administration for Property Legal Affairs in Struga charged over forged privatization rulings

An advisor at the regional office of the Ministry of Finance’s Administration for Property Legal Affairs in Struga has been reported to police for producing forged privatization rulings for other people and affixing an official stamp to them, authorities say.

The police filed a criminal report against a 61-year-old man from Struga for the offenses listed as "abuse of official position and authority", "negligent performance of duty in office" and "forgery of an official document". The report does not specify how many falsified rulings he prepared.

Allegations span three years

According to the Ministry of Interior, the advisor allegedly prepared counterfeit decisions on land privatization during 2022, 2023 and 2024. He is accused of using his position to stamp the documents to appear legally valid and sending them to the Department for Real Estate Cadastre in Struga without first obtaining the required opinion from the competent institution.

The Ministry of Interior said the actions were carried out "while employed at the Ministry of Finance – Administration for Property Legal Affairs in Struga, as an advisor and authorized signatory of acts, abusing his position and authority, during 2022, 2023 and 2024 he prepared fake decisions on privatization of land to other persons, arbitrarily impressed the official stamp for legality and sent them to the Department for Real Estate Cadastre Struga, but previously did not send them to the competent institution for opinion."

Investigators have registered the criminal report and the case is now with the competent authorities as inquiries continue. Police statements did not disclose whether any other employees are implicated or whether any property transactions have been reversed.

Photo: press material from the event