Macedonian interior minister says new evidence will shock public in Mazut corruption case

North Macedonia’s interior minister Panche Toshevski announced in a televised interview that he possesses undisclosed evidence in the long‑running “Mazut” corruption investigation. The case, which has been under investigation for more than a year, involves 13 accused individuals, including businessmen Ratko Kapushevski, Asmir Jahoski, Erjan Sulkoski and former state company ESМ director Vasko Kovachevski, accused of abuse of office and money laundering.

Two weeks earlier, public prosecutor Katërina Kolarevič closed the probe, citing insufficient evidence for a viable indictment. Toshevski countered that “some evidence you do not know… the public will be shocked” and called for new personnel in the ministry and prosecutor’s office. State-owned ESМ has appealed the prosecutor’s decision, requesting judicial review of the closure.

The minister’s statements raise the prospect that the investigation could be reopened if the alleged new material is presented, prompting political and public scrutiny of the anti‑corruption effort.