On Thursday, Aleksandar Andonov, Director of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Sector at the State Lottery, took the stand in the State Lottery trial, in which the former Director of the state-owned JSC, Perparim Bajrami, and former DPM Grubi are among those charged with embezzlement in the procurement of video lottery terminals (VLTs) valued at 9.7 million euros.
Andonov was a member of the Commission for the implementation of the VLT public procurement procedure. As he explained, the body consisted of six members divided into two panels: one handling the formal-legal aspect of the procedure, and the other assessing whether the offered terminals met technical specifications.
Three bids were received during the procurement process, Andonov testified. Following the evaluation, minutes and a report were drafted, leading to a decision selecting the most favorable bidder, after which contracts were signed, according to his testimony.
Grubi’s defense attorney, Goce Risteski, considers that Andonov’s testimony has confirmed that his client had no involvement in either the public procurement or the operations of the State Lottery.