Përparim Bajrami to be released from Shutka prison after providing security worth over €1.1 million

The Criminal Council of the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje has approved a guarantee of €1,140,781, offered in the form of real estate, and ordered the pre-trial detention of Përparim Bajrami, the first defendant in the case known as “Lottery,” to be lifted.

His lawyer, Elenko Milanov, told TV21 that the guarantee does not consist of Bajrami’s personal property. It includes real estate owned by his parent and property belonging to a company whose name has not been made public.

Since the public prosecutor and the parties waived their right to appeal, the decision is final. Bajrami is expected to leave Skopje Prison once the mortgage has been registered in the Cadastre.

To ensure that he appears in court, precautionary measures have also been imposed on Bajrami: his passport will be confiscated, he will not be allowed to obtain a new travel document, and he will be required to report regularly to the authorities.

On August 13, 2026, he was indicted for “abuse of official position and authority,” an offense punishable by up to five years in prison. After being unreachable for a period, Bajrami turned himself in on September 9 to serve pre-trial detention. Under the Law on Criminal Procedure, pre-trial detention for this type of indictment may last no longer than 60 days, until November 8.

At a hearing held on September 18, Bajrami pleaded not guilty.

Also accused in the case are former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, former government secretary Metodija Dimovski, and five former members of the Supervisory Board. According to the indictment, the government’s decision to purchase video lottery terminals and independently organize games of chance caused the state-owned company “State Lottery” damage of around €9.7 million. This was despite the fact that, since 2013, the relevant right had been invested as a non-monetary contribution valued at €6.2 million in the joint company with “Casinos Austria.”