OBRM-PDUKM accuses LSDM of allowing €110 million transfer from sanctions-hit Venezuela in 2019

OBRM-PDUKM claims that in 2019, LSDM facilitated the transfer of €110 million from Venezuela to companies close to Zaev, even though the Latin American country was under international sanctions at the time.

Responding to the situation involving the Bitola bank, the ruling party accuses LSD and Venko Filipče of continuing to mislead the public over the Alta Bank issue. According to OBRM-PDUKM, their lack of knowledge of the banking system is demonstrated by their failure to distinguish between Eurostandard and Alta Bank, two cases with different legal foundations.

According to the party’s allegations, the money was transferred through non-resident accounts belonging to fictitious companies set up in Skopje and owned by Latin American nationals. Some of the money also passed through Russian banks, OBRM-PDUKM adds.

The ruling party says companies close to Zaev benefited by almost €13 million by failing to repay loans, harming all the bank’s other depositors. Among them, it names “Sara Engineering DOO Strumica,” which was owned at the time by Vice Zaev and is currently run by Stojan Kocirov.

OBRM-PDUKM stresses that Kocirov is a member of LSD’s Central Committee and was appointed directly by Filipče. According to the party, the company owes money to the Public Revenue Office because it has not paid its taxes in full.

Regarding Alta Bank, OBRM-PDUKM says the responsible authorities have been transparent about the entire matter and have announced that they are working to resolve the problem.