At today’s session, the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption decided to initiate a criminal case against the former Minister of Culture, who held this position from June 27, 2019 to August 30, 2020, on suspicion of committing a crime of abuse of office. position and authority in relation to contracts and annex contracts concluded on July 24, 2020, in connection with the annual competitions for financing projects of national interest.
This case was submitted to the SCPC by the Ministry of Culture, and after the conclusion of a Government session held on May 18 this year. The Ministry of Culture was asked to control the work in the area of legal basis of the agreements and annex agreements concluded on June 27, 2020, given that they, as explained by the SCPC member Vladimir Georgiev, were concluded in the post-election period after parliamentary elections in conditions when the new Government has not been formed and in conditions when with the rebalance of the budget the Ministry has been reduced financial means for financing projects of national interest in the field of culture.
The SCPC head Biljana Ivanovska said that all these findings indicate that the manager of the Ministry of Culture has undertaken obligations beyond the available funds with the Budget, which, as she stressed, is prohibited and punishable.
The Minister of Culture was Husni Ismaili during the indicated period.
