Alleged: Gruevski escaped by water route from a hotel in Ohrid to Albania, here is the departure point by speedboat (VIDEO)

According to a new testimony, former prime minister Nikola Gruevski did not begin his escape to Hungary from his residence, but from a hotel on the shore of Lake Ohrid. Former Macedonian athlete Aleksandar Malenko described the movements during an interview for the show “In the Center” with journalist Vasko Eftov. He says that Gruevski was staying at the “Royal View” hotel, owned by his ex-wife, and left from there on November 10, 2018, at around 2:40 a.m.

According to Malenko, he himself opened the garage door to allow the car to exit. The former prime minister left in a Volkswagen Passat driven by his driver, accompanied by members of his personal security. From the hotel, the vehicle took him to the village of Lubanishta in Ohrid, where a speedboat was waiting on the shore. With this watercraft, Gruevski crossed the lake and arrived in Tushemishte, on Albanian territory, covering about two kilometers to the Pogradec area. The same driver was waiting there with the Passat, with which they continued the journey to the Hungarian embassy in Tirana.

His family did not leave with him. His wife and daughters stayed at the hotel and continued their vacation even after Gruevski’s departure. Malenko also revealed that the head of VMRO-DPMNE had arrived in Ohrid three days before the escape, on the evening of November 7, 2018, with two cars: an official Interior Ministry vehicle from the Sixth Directorate (security and surveillance) and his private car with the security team. The reception was organized according to standard protocols for VIP guests, without specifying the exact identity of the visitor.

Later, he reached Budapest under unclear circumstances, after traveling through Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia. Although an investigation into this escape was launched in North Macedonia, no one was held accountable for his unusual departure from the country.