U.S.-blacklisted former Struga Mayor Merko has been fined 5,000 euros by the Basic Court in Struga regarding the controversial memorial plaque on the Municipality’s building reading “Bitola Congress Elementary School – September 1, 1941” (which was written only in Albanian and also glorified the fascist period in which Struga was under Italian occupation).
According to the ruling, that was in violation of the legislation concerning memorials, as the content of the plaque incited ethnic discord and hatred among the local population.
On the other hand, Merko rejected any personal responsibility in his closing arguments, claiming that the plaque had been installed by the Association of Albanian Pensioners on the occasion of Albanian Alphabet Day.
At the same time, another trial against Merko started. It concerns the contract concluded for the illumination of the Crn Drim riverbed without appropriate water management consent.