Artan Grubi Could Be Released from House Arrest in 17 Days Unless Prosecutor Completes Investigation with an Indictment

The investigation into former DUI deputy prime minister Artan Grubi has entered its sixth and final month and will conclude on August 22. If the prosecutor does not file charges by then, Grubi will also be released from house arrest.

The prosecutor from the Skopje Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office has another 17 days to complete the investigative proceedings. After 14 months on the run, Grubi spent only half a day in custody before the measure against him was immediately reduced to house arrest. If the investigation is not followed by an indictment, he will be free.

The Criminal Court told Sakamdakazam.mk that, in the absence of an indictment, house arrest is lifted and the Skopje Basic Criminal Court, acting ex officio, imposes another measure to ensure the suspect’s presence. According to the court, in most cases this involves the seizure of the suspect’s travel document.

Grubi surrendered at the Blace border crossing on February 23, 2026, after being on the run in Kosovo. A passport is not required to enter Kosovo, as the border can be crossed with an identity card.

The former deputy prime minister is suspected of embezzling €8.2 million from the State Lottery. After several hours in custody, he said he had not felt safe in Shutka. Subsequently, following a proposal to impose house arrest, the prosecutor, operatives from the National Security Agency (ASK) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MPB), as well as the pretrial judge, decided to release him from prison immediately.

On November 24, 2025, former state prosecutor Ljupço Kocevski said that the evidence against Grubi had been secured and that only his extradition from Kosovo remained. However, uncertainties surrounding the case persist. The Prosecutor’s Office said again yesterday that it had no new information about the investigation that could be made public.

In the same criminal case, Prparim Bajrami, chairman of the Management Board and director general of the State Lottery, is also a suspect alongside Grubi. Bajrami is also on the run.

Four other people are under investigation in their capacity as chairs and members of commissions for two separate public calls. They are suspected of abusing special powers and duties by conducting public procedures to transfer the right to organize electronic and online games of chance, even though they knew that such a procedure should not have been carried out in those cases.