Prilep Official Arrested on Bribery Charges

An employee of the Employment Center in Prilep was taken into custody on suspicion of demanding 18,000 denars to ensure that a resident of Belo Pole village would not lose his social assistance. His promise also included registering the resident’s wife as an active job seeker.

Police carried out the arrest yesterday, at the moment the official was receiving the final installment of 6,000 denars.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the incident began on April 23, when the victim and his wife, who are social assistance beneficiaries, received a message from the Agency to report for a job training. The suspect warned them that refusing the training would lead to the termination of their aid, and as a solution he demanded half of the monthly social payment, specifically 6,000 denars each month.

The Prosecutor’s Office clarifies that the accused also promised to enter the woman into the Agency’s electronic register as a job seeker, despite the fact that she did not possess a control card and did not regularly submit it to the Center.

The day after the conversation, the victim handed over 4,000 denars in the office, then 2,000 denars, and continued to pay regularly each month. During the delivery of the last amount on July 24, police officers discovered and seized the banknotes from the suspect, who was immediately arrested.

The public prosecutor has filed a request with the Basic Court of Prilep for the detention of the official. He is being prosecuted for the criminal offense of ‘bribery’.