Macedonian court dismisses tax evasion charges against journalist Dragan Pavlovic Latas

Skopje's Basic Criminal Court announced that the public prosecutor withdrew the indictment in the "Total" case against journalist Dragan Pavlovic Latas and three Skopje‑based companies accused of tax evasion for the period 2008‑2015. The prosecutor cited absolute prescription of the criminal pursuit and, after an expert review, found that two of the legal entities did not meet the statutory elements of the offence. Consequently, the court issued a dismissive judgment on 27 May 2026, which became final on 25 June 2026, and prepared decisions on the parties' legal costs. The case, originally opened by the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2017, ends without a substantive acquittal; the charges were simply dropped because the statute of limitations had expired and the evidential basis was insufficient.