Artan Grubi and seven others charged in State Lottery abuse case

Artan Grubi State Lottery abuse of office North Macedonia political charges

The Skopje Basic Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against eight individuals, including former First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, former State Lottery Director Perparim Bajrami, and former Government Secretary Metodija Dimovski. The group is accused of abuse of official position and authorization related to the State Lottery of North Macedonia during 2023 and 2024.

Prosecutors allege the accused bypassed legal restrictions to independently organize electronic games on video lottery terminals and procure equipment. The State Lottery reportedly lacked the right to organize these games independently, as that right had been contributed as a non-monetary asset to a joint venture with Casinos Austria in 2013. The alleged actions are estimated to have caused approximately 507.6 million denars (roughly 8.2 million euros) in damages to the State Lottery.

The charges have sparked political tension. The Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) has criticized the indictment as politically motivated, calling for full transparency and international oversight to ensure the case is not used for selective political persecution. The trial is scheduled to begin on August 24.

Entities

Artan Grubi · BDI · Casinos Austria · Democratic Union for Integration · Metodija Dimovski · Perparim Bajrami · State Lottery of North Macedonia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] Perparim Bajrami, the former director of the State Lottery, is among the accused. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk
[● 13 SOURCES] The alleged actions caused approximately 507.6 million denars (roughly 8.2 million euros) in damages to the State Lottery. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk · lokalno.mk · +3 more
[● 13 SOURCES] Artan Grubi, the former First Deputy Prime Minister, is among the eight individuals charged. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk · lokalno.mk · +3 more
[● 10 SOURCES] The right to organize such games was previously invested in 2013 as a non-monetary contribution to a joint company with Casinos Austria. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk · lokalno.mk · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] The BDI party has called for international oversight and transparency, expressing concern that the charges may be politically motivated. koha.mk · racin.mk
[● 13 SOURCES] The Skopje Basic Public Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against eight individuals for abuse of position and official authorization. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk · lokalno.mk · +3 more
[● 10 SOURCES] The accused allegedly bypassed the fact that the State Lottery lacked the right to organize electronic games on video lottery terminals. alsat.mk · koha.mk · racin.mk · press24.mk · lokalno.mk · +3 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Metodija Dimovski, the former Secretary of the Government, is among the eight individuals charged. alsat.mk · press24.mk · www.danas.rs · www.slobodenpecat.mk