Trial Against Former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi Begins in Skopje

The Basic Criminal Court in Skopje opened proceedings today against former Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi and seven other defendants, accused of abuses at the State Lottery JSC.

According to the indictment filed on August 13 of this year by the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Skopje, during 2023 and 2024, Artan Grubi and the other individuals acted together beyond their specific competencies and duties. Their actions allegedly caused damage to the Joint Stock Company for Organizing Games of Chance, State Lottery of the Republic of North Macedonia, amounting to 507,632,173 denars.

All defendants face the criminal offense of “Abuse of official position and authority,” under Article 353 paragraph 5, in conjunction with paragraphs 4 and 1, as well as Article 22 of the Criminal Code. This offense carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Through the automatic case assignment system, the case has been entrusted to Judge Biljana Shuplinovska-Jovevski.

Përparim Bajrami, former director of the State Lottery and the first defendant, remains inaccessible to law enforcement and is at large. The prosecution has requested that he be placed in 30-day detention. Meanwhile, for Artan Grubi, the second defendant, an extension of the house arrest measure has been requested, which was imposed along with the precautionary measure of temporarily seizing his travel document and prohibiting him from obtaining a travel document or other document for crossing the state border.

Based on Article 470 paragraph 4 of the Law on Criminal Procedure, the detention measure may last up to 60 days from the moment of filing the criminal prosecution proposal until the conclusion of the main hearing. In this case, the maximum 60-day deadline is calculated from August 13.

After more than 14 months in hiding, Grubi was apprehended at the Bllaca border crossing point in February of this year. Following his testimony at the Prosecutor’s Office, he was not placed in pre-trial custody, but was left under house arrest for security reasons.