FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A wide-ranging operation by the Financial Police and the Prosecution for Organized Crime in North Macedonia has targeted the Football Federation of North Macedonia (FFM), leading to the arrest of 12 people, while five others remain inaccessible to the justice system.
According to authorities, the suspects include two former presidents of the Macedonian Football Federation, the former head of the finance and accounting sector, as well as managers and owners of several private companies that are suspected of being part of the scheme. Eight legal entities are also under investigation.
The Prosecution for Organized Crime and Corruption announced that the suspects are charged with the criminal offenses of "Embezzlement in Service" and "Money Laundering", while preliminary investigations have revealed suspicions of misuse of Federation funds during the years 2015–2019.
According to the investigation file, the former first president of the Macedonian Football Federation, in collaboration with the head of finance, is suspected of having embezzled 127.4 million denars from January 1, 2015 to July 25, 2018 through a series of actions aimed at illegal financial gain. Meanwhile, his successor at the head of the Federation is suspected of having continued the same scheme until October 10, 2019, embezzling another 53.3 million denars.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, the former finance director manipulated the Federation's accounting documentation to hide the destination of the payments. Investigators allege that the accounting data was changed after the payments were made, eliminating references to invoices, services and beneficiary entities, which made it difficult to trace the movement of funds.
The dossier states that the two former presidents approved and signed a total of 728 payment orders prepared by the financial sector without complete documentation and without verifying their validity. According to authorities, this enabled the transfer of federation funds to various companies in violation of the financial rules and statute of the Macedonian Football Federation.
The prosecution alleges that the companies involved in the scheme issued false invoices for goods and services that were allegedly not actually provided. Based on these invoices, payments were made from federation funds.
According to the investigation, the damage caused to the Football Federation of North Macedonia amounts to 180.8 million denars, while the beneficiary companies are suspected of having secured illegal financial benefits. Authorities also suspect that part of these funds was reintroduced into circulation through various transactions with the aim of concealing their origin, forming the basis for money laundering charges.
During the operation conducted on Thursday, police conducted searches in residences and business premises in several locations in Skopje, where documents, financial assets, and electronic equipment were seized that will be subjected to expertise.
According to the authorities, the action is the result of a multi-year investigation conducted by the Financial Police and the Investigation Center at the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office.
The dossier also mentions former FFM president Muhamed Sejdini, who led the federation from 2018 to 2024. Sejdini has previously been investigated for issues related to the construction of a stand at the Ohrid stadium and was arrested by Macedonian authorities in April this year. He resigned as head of the federation in November 2024, and Masar Omeragic was elected as head of the FFM after him.
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