Former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski did not leave for Hungary directly from his residence, but first departed from the city of Ohrid. According to claims, he stayed at the “Royal View” hotel, located on the shore of Lake Ohrid, and left from there on November 10, 2018, at 2:40 a.m.
These claims were made by former Macedonian athlete Aleksandar Malenko during an interview on the show “Në Qendër” with journalist Vasko Eftov. Malenko, who was present at the hotel of his former wife, said he personally received Gruevski there. He added that Gruevski left the hotel in the early morning hours and headed to the village of Lubanishtë, near Ohrid. There, a speedboat was waiting to take him to the Albanian side, in Tushemishtë. Malenko explained that the border distance in that area is very short, only 2 kilometers to the Pogradec region. On Albanian soil, his driver was waiting with a Passat vehicle to then continue the journey toward the Hungarian embassy in the capital Tirana, INA reports.
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Malenko also stated that he himself opened the hotel garage to allow Gruevski’s exit. The former prime minister left in a “Volkswagen Passat” driven by his driver, while members of his personal security detail were also in the vehicle. Gruevski’s family members, including his wife and daughters, stayed at the hotel and did not accompany him in his departure.
Later, Gruevski arrived in Budapest, Hungary, under still unclear circumstances, after an itinerary that included Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia. Authorities in Macedonia launched an investigation into the event, but no one was held accountable for the escape.
According to Malenko’s account, Gruevski had arrived in Ohrid three days before the escape, specifically on the evening of November 7, 2018. He traveled with two cars: an official vehicle of the Ministry of Interior from the Sixth Directorate, responsible for security and surveillance, as well as his private car with a driver and bodyguard. Gruevski came accompanied by his family, and Malenko greeted them in the hotel garage. The visit had been announced according to MOI protocols as a stay for VIP guests, without specifying the person’s identity, which is a standard security procedure. /INA/
