Grubi’s house arrest ends tomorrow as he offers property to secure return of passport

Artan Grubi, the former first deputy prime minister, has requested the return of his passport, offering property worth more than €335,000 as security. His house arrest ends tomorrow, marking 60 days since the indictment was submitted.

Before ruling on the request, the Skopje Criminal Court is awaiting the prosecution’s opinion. The trial over alleged abuses at the State Lottery is continuing, and Grubi is expected to attend the hearing without a police escort.

According to the prosecution’s indictment, Grubi abused his official position by enabling the purchase of VLT machines worth more than €9.7 million, even though they were not needed. He has denied the allegations, arguing that all 20 members of the government voted for the decision and that his aim was to protect the state’s interests.

The case began in December 2024, after the United States placed Grubi on its blacklist for corruption. On December 15, he left for Kosovo. He returned to North Macedonia on February 23, after more than 14 months, surrendering at the Blace border crossing.

After surrendering, Grubi was initially taken to Shutka prison. However, just a few hours later, he was placed under house arrest after security authorities determined that remaining in pretrial detention would endanger his life. The decision prompted widespread public reaction.