Erasmus+ Case: Dimova Points Finger at Zaev and Ismajloska-Starova

Former National Agency for European Educational Programmes and Mobility head Lidija Dimova has said that ex-PM Zoran Zaev and the current National Coordinator for Regional Cooperation and EU Integration, Nola Ismajloska-Starova wanted to cover up the case concerning the abuse of around 2.3 million euros for educational projects.

As she explained for Sitel on Friday, after she’d rung the alarm over the fraud, she was dismissed and then charged with the abuse of the Erasmus+ funds.

“The key person was a person close to the then-PM, Zoran Zaev. It’s about Nola Ismajloska-Starova, who was probably supposed to vote in favour of the constitutional changes. I was summoned to him, told to withdraw the charge. I refused to do that. As a result, two-three weeks later, the media smear campaign about the trained donkeys started and then-Deputy PM for Fighting Corruption, Sustainable Development, and Human Resources Ljupco Nikolovski replaced me as head of the Agency. To this day, I’ve struggled to prove my innocence,” Dimova stressed.

Zaev and Ismajloska-Starova haven’t answered Sitel’s questions, but for other media, the latter has said it is not true at all that she and the ex-PM asked Dimova to withdraw the charge.