# Balkan business figures facing court charges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-business-figures-facing-court-charges > Updated: 2026-07-29T17:24:00.000Z. Sources: 44. Developments: 2. 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 - Borçe Markovski is the owner of Markovski Company. (corroborated by 10 sources) - Markovski is accused of misuse of public procurement in REK Bitola/Manastir worth about €1.7 million. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The higher public prosecutor in Bitola gave a positive opinion for returning the passport, while the Struga prosecutor opposed it. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The Basic Court in Struga returned Markovski's passport after he posted a guarantee worth over €5 million in property. (corroborated by 9 sources) - Markovski was detained at the Tabanoc border crossing but released because no active travel restriction existed. (corroborated by 9 sources) - The trial for the tender case is scheduled for 2 September 2026. (corroborated by 9 sources) - After his release, Markovski crossed the border into Serbia. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Gjuriq said Serbia and Albania reached a principle agreement to open consular offices in Shkodër and Bujanoc. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Albania and Serbia agreed in principle to open reciprocal consulates: Serbia in Shkodër and Albania in Bujanoc. (corroborated by 7 sources) - Albanian politicians criticised the Serbian consulate proposal as a political project lacking demographic justification. (corroborated by 4 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-07-29: 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. 38 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/macedonian-businessman-borche-markovski-leaves-country-after-court-restores-passport ### 2026-07-22: 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. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/slovenian-businessman-mitja-verlak-appears-in-court-over-alleged-1-million-holidayhome-fraud --- Cite as: Balkan business figures facing court charges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/balkan-business-figures-facing-court-charges