SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Two police officers that are part of President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova’s security detail were lying to a fellow officer that a private misparked vehicle was an official one, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Friday, adding that disciplinary proceedings had been opened against the two Sixth Directorate members.
The vehicle in question belongs to ex-minister Srgjan Kerim, who, according to eyewitnesses, had parked it on a bike path in Debar Maalo and went to a hospitality venue with the President’s husband, Blagoj Davkov.
The situation happened on 22 March, while a video emerged on social media several days ago.
The Interior Ministry, however, didn’t say whether a criminal investigation would be launched considering, according to the press-release, there are suspicions that the two officers committed abuse and prevention of an official person from carrying out an official activity. Additionally, according to the Police Code of Ethics, officers shouldn’t make false claims regarding official position, status, and authorization.
It’s unclear why a process over the vehicle (a Porsche Cayenne) was launched only after the video had been posted on social media. The two members of the detail said the Porsche was an official vehicle. However, following a reaction by a group of young people and checks by an officer accompanying the tow service, the car was towed.
The two persons who said they were officers and claimed the vehicle was an official one entered a Ford Mondeo and started driving towards the depo where the Porsche had been taken. Kerim has been fined 45 euros.
Asked to comment on the case, Kerim told Telma on Friday that there was nothing to talk about and that he was abroad. According to SDSM, the case would have been covered up had it not been for the reaction of the young people.
“With Pance Toskovski at the helm of the Interior Ministry, chaos happens on Macedonian streets”, Spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska stated on Saturday.
In response, VMRO-DPMNE said that SDSM was lying, adding that both the driver had been fined and there were disciplinary proceedings.
The Interior Ministry, however, said on Sunday that the third officer, i.e. the one who had ordered that the Porsche be towed, was facing disciplinary action as well. However, there haven’t been many details on what he did specifically and whether he handed over the vehicle after it had been taken to the depot.
