Acting president of Skopje Appellate Court: "I don't know about corruption, but if it exists in the court I'll deal with it"
The acting president said he cannot comment because of the presumption of innocence and warned he will address any corruption in the court.
Zoran Gerasimovski, acting president of the Appellate Court in Skopje, declined to elaborate on the criminal case involving Judge Gjoko Ristov, citing the presumption of innocence, and said he would tackle corruption in the court if it is proven to exist.
Asked about the allegations against the judge, Gerasimovski answered briefly: "I don't know about corruption, but if it exists in the court I'll deal with it," and reiterated that he could not comment on the ongoing proceedings because of legal protections for the accused.
Shortage of staff at the court
Gerasimovski also raised concerns about staffing at the Appellate Court, saying there is an insufficient number of judges, technical experts and jurors to handle the caseload. He warned that the situation has worsened after the removal of the accused judge Ristov from his duties.
The acting president did not provide further details about internal measures or a timeline for addressing the staffing gaps, but indicated that administrative and personnel challenges are affecting the court's capacity.
For now, Gerasimovski left the legal process to continue without commenting on specifics of the allegation, while assuring that any confirmed corruption within the institution would be confronted.
Photo: press material from the event
