Trial against former first deputy prime minister Artan Grubi begins tomorrow

After six months under house arrest, Artan Grubi will appear tomorrow before the court as a defendant for the misuse of about 8.2 million euros in the State Lottery. In the same case, the first defendant is former Lottery director Përparim Bajrami, who remains a fugitive. Criminal liability is also attributed to former Government Secretary Metodija Dimovski, as well as the chairman and members of the Lottery board. The sessions will be presided over by judge Biljana Shuplinovska – Jovevski.

The prosecution claims that the defendants enabled the supply of VLT machines to the State Lottery, although these devices were not necessary and were never used.

Grubi and 7 other individuals were initially investigated for the criminal offense of “Fraud in service,” for which the law provides imprisonment from 4 to 20 years. However, in the indictment, the Prosecution has included the offense of “Misuse of duty and official authorization,” which foresees a lighter sentence, up to 5 years in prison. According to the prosecuting body, evidence was secured during the investigation for “misuse of official duty” and not for “Fraud in service.”

The events, according to the Prosecution, began on May 9, 2023. That day, Përparim Bajrami, in his capacity as director of the State Lottery and the first suspect, sent the Government information on the need to take steps that would enable the independent organization of electronic games of chance. Through this document, he proposed initiating the procedure for purchasing VLT terminals.

The Prosecution assesses that, given the value of the supply, the law required the decision to be approved by the Management and Supervisory Board of the “State Lottery,” not by the Shareholders’ Assembly. Moreover, according to the accusation, Bajrami knew that this purchase was senseless and unnecessary, because the joint-stock company “State Lottery,” under the Law on Games of Chance, did not have the right to independently organize electronic games of chance on the territory of the state. This right had been given since 2013 to the State Video Lottery “Casinos Austria”.

On June 6, 2023, Government Secretary Metodija Dimovski, in violation of the Rules of Procedure, presented the information as an addition to the agenda of the Government meeting. According to the Prosecution, he should have returned the document or forwarded it to the competent body.

Also on June 6, 2023, Artan Grubi, designated as the second suspect, chaired the Government session in his capacity as the Assembly of the Joint-Stock Company. The Prosecution claims that Grubi knew the request for the supply of VLT terminals was illegal and that the Shareholders’ Assembly had no authority to decide on this supply.

During the session, the information was approved and the “State Lottery” was tasked with taking steps to launch the independent organization of electronic games of chance, as well as securing the VLT machines.

The other four suspects are the chairman and members of the commission responsible for two separate public calls. They are suspected that, using official powers and duties, they conducted the procedure for transferring the right to organize online games of chance, even though they knew that in this case that procedure was not allowed and that the conditions set by law were not met.