Former State Attorney Fehmi Stafa has been arrested with 20,000 euros on him, part of a bigger amount received by him to influence a Skopje Appellate Court Judge.
The Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into him on suspicion of accepting a reward for unlawful influence. According to the Office, from October to December 13, he received a total of 50,000 euros.
He would claim he would use his influence to intervene with the judge in order for the detention measure to be abolished against a person that was at large and facing a procedure concerning crimes against public finance.
He had initially asked for 100,000 euros. On October 6, he received part of the amount, 30,000 euros, from the sister of the person, while on December 13, he directly asked for and received another 20,000 euros as part of the bribe for him to give to the judge. Immediately after he’d received the second amount, Stafa was arrested, while the money was on him.
A detention measure proposal has been filed. Several media have reported that the person at large is Ljupco Pecov (a.k.a. the Devil), a suspect in the Chain case.