Raskovski not to resign as Government Sec Gen over Audio material

Dragi Raskovski said on Tuesday he wouldn’t resign as Government Sec Gen. As he added, the audio material that, according to VMRO-DPMNE, proved rigging of a tender to procure a radar system from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has been sent for an expertise procedure. Raskovski, who was explaining the whole tender process, didn’t want to comment on the audio, that is, he just said one should wait for the resolution from relevant institutions. “In the presentation, you have it explained that Zivko Popovski, father of Nikola Popovski, is signing the decision to choose the company, Leonardo. The decision to choose Leonardo is signed by the previous management, father of a former official of VMRO-DPMNE,” Raskovski stated. The Government Sec Gen will file on Wednesday criminal charge of unauthorised recording against Kliment Cepunjuovski, as well as defamation lawsuits against, among others, Ivanka Vasilevska, Goran Momiroski and journalists Milenko Nedelkovski and Ljupco Zlatev. An arbitration procedure will be filed against several media, including Kurir, Infomax and Lider. Following his press-conference, VMRO-DPMNE said the Government Sec Gen was lying, adding that he needed to resign. Commenting on the announced procedures against journalists and media, the Media Agency stated that they represented direct pressure on the work of media. “The threats, instead of using the right to a correction or a response, represent endangerment of freedom of information and, in general, of freedom of media,” the Agency noted.