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| Jordan Orce Kamchev |
The leaders of institutions in North Macedonia have welcomed the decision of the United States to include Macedonian businessman Jordan Orce Kamchev in the blacklist. At the same time, they expressed regret for the failure of local justice authorities to combat organized crime.
On Wednesday, the U.S. added businessman Jordan Orce Kamchev to its blacklist for all the corrupt acts he is suspected to have committed since 2000.
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Kamchev "has engaged in corrupt activities and advanced his own selfish agenda at the expense of the institutions and citizens of North Macedonia."
The Minister of Justice of North Macedonia, Krenar Lloga, said on Thursday that Kamchev "is the main sponsor of the destruction of the Special Prosecutor's Office," which was established in 2016 to prosecute officials suspected of corruption and organized crime before being disbanded three years later due to the involvement of its leaders in corrupt activities, Radio Free Europe reports.
"With Mr. Kamchev, what was expected to happen has happened, something that the justice authorities here are not doing. Kamchev is one of the main sponsors of the destruction of the Public Special Prosecutor's Office, and his name is linked to many other problems that exist in the country today. I am glad that he is on the U.S. blacklist, but I am very sorry that the judiciary of North Macedonia did not see him as the ordinary citizen sees him," said Lloga.
He stated that the Ministry of Justice does not have the authority to intervene in the judiciary, but as a member of the Judicial Council, he will raise the issue before this body.
"The public deserves reliable institutions that uphold democratic values, transparency, and without compromises. For North Macedonia to continue its path towards prosperity, which it has set as its goal, corruption cannot go uninvestigated. Those involved in corruption must inevitably face the consequences in accordance with the law," said Aggeler, in a media conference where she clarified once again the decision of the U.S. to include Macedonian businessman Jordan Orce Kamchev in the blacklist.
Jordan Orce Kamchev is a relative of the former director of the Macedonian secret police, Sasho Mijalkov, and former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, both of whom have also been convicted and are facing other legal proceedings with high prison sentences for abuse of power.
In a case known as the "Parcelat e Vodnos" (Vodno Parcels), Kamchev was found guilty of involvement in a money laundering scheme related to the illegal purchase of land for construction.
He was sentenced to one year in prison but spent the duration of his sentence in pre-trial detention from March 2021 until January 2022 when he was released on a bail of 11 million euros, ensuring that he would not evade justice in other ongoing investigations, including the "Perendoria" case for money laundering and other abuses.