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[SITUATION] · [QUIET]

2 clusters · 44 sources · 8 days · First seen 19 days ago · Last updated 11 days ago

Category: CRIME

Balkan business figures facing court charges

Entities: Republic of Serbia · Bujanoc · Vigan Qorolli · Serbia · Republic of Macedonia (North Macedonia)

Overview

In late July 2026, two separate legal proceedings involving prominent business figures in the Balkans were reported.

On 22 July, Slovenian entrepreneur Mitja Verlak appeared before the Maribor district court on accusations of large‑scale fraud linked to the sale of coastal holiday homes, allegedly defrauding buyers of about €1 million. The pre‑trial hearing proceeded without a lawyer after Verlak’s request for legal aid was denied, and his consulting firm, Map Consulting, had entered bankruptcy earlier in March.

A week later, on 29 July, former Belarusian consul Borçe Markovski, who runs Markovski Company in North Macedonia, was allowed to leave the country after a court restored his passport on the condition that he provide a property guarantee exceeding €5 million. The case concerns alleged abuse of a public‑procurement tender worth roughly €1.7 million. Although stopped at the Tabanoc border, he was permitted to travel to Serbia because no active travel‑restriction order existed. The matter is scheduled for a hearing on 2 September 2026.

No further court‑related developments concerning these individuals have been reported since the July 2026 hearings.

Claims

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

[● 10 SOURCES] Borçe Markovski is the owner of Markovski Company. (business registry)
[● 10 SOURCES] Markovski is accused of misuse of public procurement in REK Bitola/Manastir worth about €1.7 million. (accusation)
[● 10 SOURCES] The higher public prosecutor in Bitola gave a positive opinion for returning the passport, while the Struga prosecutor opposed it. (prosecutor statements)
[● 9 SOURCES] The Basic Court in Struga returned Markovski's passport after he posted a guarantee worth over €5 million in property. (court decision)
[● 9 SOURCES] Markovski was detained at the Tabanoc border crossing but released because no active travel restriction existed. (border police report)
[● 9 SOURCES] The trial for the tender case is scheduled for 2 September 2026. (court schedule)
[● 7 SOURCES] After his release, Markovski crossed the border into Serbia. (border police report)
[● 7 SOURCES] Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq said Serbia and Albania reached a principle agreement to open consular offices in Shkodër and Bujanoc. (Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq)
[● 7 SOURCES] Albania and Serbia agreed in principle to open reciprocal consulates: Serbia in Shkodër and Albania in Bujanoc. (ed72d7a5-1eac-444b-83d7-f7c88c39943b, 891eedfe-2c27-464b-b454-4b22be3eff4e, b580e19d-16e4-4b46-97bd-c2a317144bac, 670a54)
[● 4 SOURCES] Albanian politicians criticised the Serbian consulate proposal as a political project lacking demographic justification. (Vigan Qorolli, Albana Vokshi, Pandeli Majko, Meliza Haradinaj)

Timeline

11 days ago

[POLITICS] 38 sources
Albania and Serbia to Open Consulates in Shkodër and Bujanoc
Albania and Serbia agree to open reciprocal consulates—Serbia in Shkodër, Albania in Bujanoc—citing reciprocity but facing domestic criticism over minority impact.
19 days ago

[CRIME] 6 sources
Slovenian businessman Mitja Verlak appears in court over alleged €1 million holiday‑home fraud
Mitja Verlak faces a Maribor court trial for alleged €1 million fraud affecting holiday‑home buyers; he appeared without legal counsel and his firm Map Consulting is in bankruptcy.

Sources

24-ore.com · 360stepeni.mk · albinfo.ch · arbresh.info · argjirolajm.net · atvlive.tv · balkanweb.com · bokutei.themedia.jp · bujanovacke.co.rs · delo.si · denesen.mk · drini.us · dukagjini.com · ekonomiaonline.com · epokaere.com · faktoje.al · gazeta.mk · gazeta10.com · gijotina.com · info.delo.si · infoshqip.com · javanews.al · kohajone.com · kosovapost.net · lajmi.net · lajmpress.org · libertas.mk · lideri.mk · mbreport.si · nova24tv.si · orainfo.net · pinnews.com.tw · portalb.mk · rtv21.tv · shenja.tv · siol.net · slobodenpecat.mk · telegrafi.com · tetovasot.com · times.si · tv21.tv · vecer.mk · veriu.info · zurnal.mk

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history