Saturday, August 04, 2007

No detention for ex-premier Vlado Buckovski

No temporary detention was ordered to Vlado Buckovski, who is under investigation for suspected power abuse at the time he held the post of Macedonian defense minister.

Buckovski, who was stripped of the deputy's immunity by the parliamentary commission, was subject of eight-hour questioning by the judge Katica Jovanovska at the Skopje District Court.

"We have won the battle for freedom, but the battle for democracy and the state of law continues. I think the judge's decision represents a ray of hope that the judiciary is capable to resist to the political pressures after all", Buckovski said after the questioning.

Hundreds of SDSM's followers along with the leadership of the party spent the day outside the Skopje District Court's building expressing their support to Buckovski.

Ex-premier and ex-defense minister Vlado Buckovski is suspected of having committed power abuse in payment of supply order for spare parts for army tanks donated by Bulgaria, damaging the state budget by 3 million euros.

On Monday, the Macedonian parliament is due to set the date for an emergency session, requested by SDSM to discuss the parliamentary commission's decision to strip Buckovski of his deputy's immunity. The biggest opposition party SDSM claims the decision is illegitimate.

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