State Lottery” case: Defense rejects prosecution evidence

The defense of the eight people accused of misappropriating €9.7 million from the State Lottery has challenged all the evidence presented by the prosecution. At today’s public hearing, the lawyers representing Përparim Bajrami, Artan Grubi and the other defendants examined, one by one, the 231 pieces of evidence presented at the previous hearing, denying the claim that the VLT machines for electronic gambling were purchased unnecessarily.

According to the defense, the agreement with Casinos Austria grants the latter exclusivity only for the electronic regulation of gambling. The lawyers stressed that this exclusivity does not cover the supply, regulation or use of the machines, and that such a right is defined neither in the agreement signed with Casinos Austria nor in the agreement establishing the company.

“The main point is that the agreement with Casinos Austria provides exclusivity only for the electronic regulation of gambling. As for the machines, namely the supply and regulation of gambling through machines, no such exclusivity exists either in the agreement signed with Casinos Austria or in the agreement establishing the company itself. This right was not transferred through that exclusivity,” said Elenko Millanov, the lawyer representing Përparim Bajrami.

The defense also disputes the claim of financial damage, arguing that the purchased machines are still at the Macedonia Lottery and can be put into use.

“Nowhere in the indictment, and for none of these individuals, does it say that the supply of these machines brought any of them an unlawful financial benefit. The equipment remains at the Macedonia Lottery. During the continuation of the proceedings, we will prove before the court and the public that this supply is in the public interest, since the machines, considering their price as well, have significantly greater value and can be activated at any time by Macedonia Lottery JSC,” Millanov added.

At the previous hearing, prosecutors Daniel Kocev and Aleksandar Davçevski spent around two hours reading out the titles of the 231 items of material evidence. They included decisions adopted at various sessions of the State Lottery and the government, the institutions’ financial plans, minutes, as well as documentation related to the procedure for supplying VLT machines.

The prosecution has charged the defendants with “Abuse of official duty,” claiming that they took part in the process of supplying the State Lottery with VLT machines for electronic gambling, even though the machines were never used. According to the prosecution, the State Lottery has no legal right to independently organize electronic gambling. /Alsat/