Judge Vulnet Vinca retired three days after the return of Borche Markovski's passport

The president of the Basic Court Struga, Vulnet Vinca, today ceased to perform judicial functions after meeting the conditions for old-age retirement — an event that comes three days after the decision of a three-member criminal panel, which he chaired, to return the seized passport to businessman Borche Markovski. Markovski left the country yesterday and traveled to the Republic of Serbia.

How the passport was returned and the prosecutors' positions

Vinca confirmed that the three-member panel, with him as presiding judge, made the decision to return Markovski's seized travel document. The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Struga was initially opposed, but following a direction from the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Bitola a positive opinion was issued.

The Judicial Council, meanwhile, rejected Vinca's request to extend his judicial duties on the grounds that the submitted written statement had been filed after the deadline. Council member Suzana Joshevska‑Anastasovska said that from the submitted statement it is evident that it was submitted untimely: "For these reasons, I consider that the statement was submitted untimely and as such should be dismissed"; the statement was submitted on 21 November 2025, although the deadline for submission was 31 August 2025.

The President of the Judicial Council, Aleksandar Kambovski, pointed out at the session that "Judge Vulnet Vinca of the Basic Court Ohrid fulfilled the conditions for old-age retirement on 18 July 2026." As he also performed the duties of president of the Basic Court Struga, the Council appointed an acting president for that court.

Vinca said in a statement that he does not feel responsible for the return of the passport because, as he stated, an opinion had previously been obtained from the competent public prosecutor. He said: "We assessed, but we received an opinion from the competent prosecutor, the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Struga. I do not feel responsible. We have a hearing scheduled for 2 September. If he does not return, he will be tried in absentia and the property will be seized."

Two pieces of information also arrived after the media tried to obtain a written response — Vinca said: "Since I am no longer president, I cannot sign anything in writing. Contact the Court."

The Prosecutor's Office explains that the defense's request to lift the additional measures was the subject of an initially negative opinion from the competent public prosecutor on 15 June 2026. After the renewed request, the case was referred to the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Bitola, which prepared a record and decided to instruct a lower-ranking public prosecutor to submit a positive opinion to grant the defense's proposal. The higher public prosecutor considered that the posted guarantee excluded circumstances indicating a flight risk and accepted that the defendant has a company in the Republic of Serbia whose operations could suffer irreparable damage if he did not travel to sign documents.

The case involves Markovski and seven other persons, suspected of criminal offenses related to a public procurement for the relocation of operational units from the TPP "Oslomej" to REK "Bitola". Although the equipment was allegedly not intended for Bitola, a tender was conducted and a contract worth around 1.7 million euros was signed, and the company "Markovski Company" dismantled the equipment in Kichevo, brought it to Bitola and left it unassembled within the REK complex.

The trial initially began at the Basic Court in Bitola, and the Court of Appeal in Bitola transferred the case to Struga. The first hearing in Struga, scheduled for 24 June, was postponed due to a change of lawyer, and the new attempt to start the trial is scheduled for 2 September.

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