Macedonian court orders retrial of ex‑PM’s bodyguard Angel Samarakov over secret‑document leak

The Skopje Appeals Court annulled the first‑instance verdict that sentenced Angel Samarakov, former bodyguard of Prime Minister Christian Micicovski, to one year and six months in prison. The case was sent back for a new trial.

Samarakov, a police officer from the Sixth Directorate responsible for VIP protection, is accused of handing confidential police documents to witness Blagoja Korunovski on 30 March 2025 in Veles, allegedly for a €50,000 payment. Prosecutor Ivan Tracheva argued that the witness’s testimony is credible despite his criminal record, citing video evidence. The defence claims the alleged disclosure was the result of illegal provocation. The appeal decision restores the proceedings to the lower court for re‑examination of the evidence.