BPPOC: We Received Info on Saturday Evening That Mijalkov May Try to Flee

The Basic Public Prosecution for Organised Crime (BPPOC) came out with more details on Monday concerning the request for the measure of house arrest against former UBK Head Saso Mijalkov, who is on the run since Sunday evening in relation to being charged in the Target-Fortress case. “The first information about a possibility for Mijalkov to attempt escape we received around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday by the Interior Ministry. After this, BPPOC started preparing a formal request for the Criminal Court to determine a precaution measure for Mijalkov, and once they completed all necessary administrative procedures, around 02:30 p.m. on Sunday they went to the Court to deliver the request. The Court officially accepted the request in 03:00 p.m. and assembled a council of judges to make a decision, and they did so, and around 06:45 p.m. BPPO received the decision of the Criminal Court determining against Mijalkov a measure of house arrest and constant 24-hour audio and video surveillance of the suspect. Then, later on Sunday, around 09:20 p.m., the Interior Ministry notified BPPOC that there are problems with the handover of the house arrest resolution to Mijalkov, after which, at 09:47 p.m. it is confirmed that they are unable to reach Mijalkov. Having in mind that during the preparation of this resolution Mijalkov was still available for the organs of justice, BPPOC believes that there are grounds for suspicion that the suspect was assisted to avoid the organs of prosecution and justice,” they inform from BPPOC, and also denied the possibility that another state institution leaked information to Mijalkov about the case that could have provoked his escape attempt. On Monday, the Interior Ministry declared an international arrest warrant against Mijalkov, and later the same day, many of the relatives and friends of Mijalkov, as well as members of his personal security were called in by the Interior Ministry for interrogation in relation to his escape. The former UBK Head is charged in the Target-Fortress case for abuse of official position and conducting illegal operation for wire-tapping of telephone communications of over 23,000 citizens, as well as for destruction of the equipment at the Interior Ministry used in the operation.