The Macedonian Financial Police has filed criminal charges against A.K.—the owner and manager of a legal entity based in Valandovo—as well as against the company itself and the manager of another legal entity based in Dojran. They are suspected of intentionally causing bankruptcy to evade obligations to creditors. The case involves Atanas Kostov, a member of former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s family, and a dispute regarding the collection of a claim by the Austrian company AMMA. According to previous media reports, the Austrian firm is seeking to recover nearly five million euros based on an arbitration ruling issued in Vienna.
The Financial Police says there are grounds for suspicion that, between 2020 and 2023, Kostov, acting as the owner, manager, and authorized signatory for the company’s accounts, engaged in unlawful actions intended to evade financial obligations to several legal entities and to prevent the collection of debts.
According to the charges, the bulk of these obligations, amounting to MKD 289,617,022, were owed to a foreign legal entity, while the debt owed to the Public Revenue Office (PRO) totaled MKD 883,283.
“According to the gathered evidence, there are grounds for suspicion that the first-reported individual, A.K., in his capacity as owner, manager, and authorized signatory for the legal entity’s accounts—engaged in unlawful actions between 2020 and 2023. With the specific, premeditated intent to evade financial obligations to several entities, primarily a foreign legal entity (in the amount of MKD 289,617,022) and the Public Revenue Office (in the amount of MKD 883,283), he deliberately rendered the legal entity seemingly insolvent, thereby preventing creditors from collecting their debts,” the report reads.
According to the Financial Police, in order to fabricate a legal basis for encumbering the company’s assets, Kostov entered into a lease agreement with another legal entity that he also managed. Although the agreement, according to the allegations in the report, was never actually executed nor recorded in the accounting books, its unilateral termination in 2023 resulted in the recording of penalties totaling MKD 233,700,000. Based on these penalties, an encumbrance was registered against the company’s assets.
Following an objection filed by the creditors, the Skopje Civil Court issued an interim measure halting the enforcement proceedings. After failing in his attempt to alienate the real estate, Kostov, according to the Financial Police, took further steps, with the assistance of the third reported individual, J.T., to cause the company to go into bankruptcy.