North Macedonia prosecution closes modular hospital procurement case

modular hospitals prosecution decision Venko Filipče Hristijan Mickoski public procurement

The Basic Public Prosecutor's Office for Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption has decided to close the investigation into the procurement of 19 modular hospitals used during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prosecution concluded there is no evidence of abuse of office or damage to the state budget.

Venko Filipče, leader of the SDSM, welcomed the decision, stating it confirms his integrity and that there was no corruption during his tenure as Health Minister. He demanded that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and the VMRO-DPMNE party apologize to the families of the 14 people who died in a fire at the Tetovo modular hospital, accusing the opposition of a five-year smear campaign.

Prime Minister Mickoski criticized the decision as scandalous, particularly given the lives lost in Tetovo. While he stated the closure is not a political amnesty and the case could be reopened if new evidence emerges, the opposition has raised concerns. VMRO-DPMNE argued that the modular hospitals were improperly categorized as 'urban equipment' to bypass standard regulations, noting they lacked proper registration and usage approvals.

Entities

Hristijan Mickoski · Islam Abazi · LSDM · Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption · SDSM · Tetovo · Tetovo Clinical Hospital · Tetovo Modular Hospital · VMRO-DPMNE · Venko Filipče

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Florin Besimi and Artan Etemi were sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for safety violations related to the Tetovo fire.
[● 4 SOURCES] The investigation was opened on September 10, 2021, following a fire in a modular hospital in Tetovo that killed 14 people.
[● 7 SOURCES] Islam Abazi closed the investigation into the 19 modular hospitals, claiming no suspicion of abuse of office. zhurnal.mk · aktuale.mk · tv21.tv
[● 5 SOURCES] The Law on Construction was amended via an expedited procedure to reclassify modular hospitals as urban equipment. aktuale.mk
[● 5 SOURCES] The modular hospital in Tetovo was situated directly above a petrol station fuel tank. aktuale.mk
[DISPUTED] Former Health Minister Venko Filipče failed to sign minimum technical specifications or prepare electrical installation documentation.
[● 8 SOURCES] The prosecution found no abuse of official position and no damage to the budget. vocentar.com · www.brif.mk · zhurnal.mk · lokalno.mk · www.slobodenpecat.mk
[● 8 SOURCES] The prosecution has closed the case regarding the procurement of modular hospitals. vocentar.com · www.brif.mk · tv21.tv · zhurnal.mk · www.slobodenpecat.mk
[DISPUTED] Venko Filipče demanded that Hristijan Mickoski and VMRO-DPMNE apologize to the families of those who died in the modular hospitals. www.brif.mk · vocentar.com · zhurnal.mk · zurnal.mk · lokalno.mk
[● 7 SOURCES] Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski criticized the prosecutor's decision to close the modular hospital case as scandalous. novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk · zhurnal.mk · libertas.mk
[● 6 SOURCES] Mickoski stated the case could be reopened if new evidence or details emerge. novamakedonija.com.mk · sitel.com.mk · zhurnal.mk · libertas.mk
[○ 1 SOURCE] The country's only PET/CT scanner has resumed operation after a multi-month shutdown. skopje1.mk