The Council of Public Prosecutors at a session on Monday unanimously rejected the initiative forwarded by Public Prosecutor Lenche Ristoska, who claimed that there were external influences and pressures on her independence, especially due to her actions in cases against the ruling VMRO-DPMNE.
In the initiative, Ristoska stated that the attacks against her originated from political structures of VMRO-DPMNE, and as an example, she cited statements by the Prime Minister and announcements on the party’s website.
As explained by Council member Marijana Ilievska, the commission determined that the statements and attacks are not related to specific actions that would call into question the independence of the prosecutor.
“The absence of individualization excludes the possibility of determining real and concrete influence. Although these statements by the Prime Minister, where he calls her a mediocrity with a political matrix, we believe that they do not constitute a violation of the integrity of the public prosecutor because they are not related to actions that would question the independence of her decision-making,” said Ilievska.
The decision, which the Council unanimously adopted, stated that there was no external influence on her work, nor was her professional integrity under any threat.
