SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
Former Director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence Saso Mijalkov pleaded guilty in the Empire case, in which he is charged with criminal association, abuse of official position, fraud, money laundering and other criminal acts. Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime and Corruption Vilma Ruskovska said on Friday that Mijalkov agreed for his real estates in total value of around 36 million euros to be seized by the state, in accordance with his asset declarations from 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2019. After pleading guilty and offering compensation, the court determined Mijalkov a prison sentence of 3 years, the compensation in real estates of 36 million euros, as well as payment in cash of 6.1 million euros. Mijalkov will pay 5.1 million euros to keep his ownership stake in the Hotel Marriott in the centre of Skopje, and one million euros to keep his house on Vodno in Skopje, but the state will ultimately confiscate from him 25 flats and other real estates in total value of 30 million euros. Mijalkov is the third defendant in the Empire case who pleaded guilty and agreed to offer compensation, after the same was done by businessman Jordan (Orce) Kamcev and by Nenad Josifovic. The Empire case was initiated by the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office back in 2018, and apart from Mijalkov, Kamcev and Josifovic, other defendants in the case are businessman Cvetan Pandeleski, the mother and the wife of Jordan Kamcev, Ratka and Hristina respectively, Zorica Arsovska, Liljana Gajdovska, Vladislav Stajkovic, Todor Mirecevski, Dejan Janev, Vance Mijalcev and Jovance Taskovski.
