New Israel Bribes Scandal Taints Macedonia Spy Chief

Macedonia's main opposition party leader has accused the country's top spy chief of accepting bribes from Israel as part of a deal to buy surveillance equipment in 2011.



In new explosive claims made Wednesday at a press conference in capital Skopje, Social Democratic Union for Macedonia leader Zoran Zaev said that Macedonia's Ministry of Interior Affairs bought wiretapping devices worth 14 million euros from Israel, which were then allegedly used against the citizens of their own country.



Zaev said Macedonia's Security and Intelligence chief Sasho Mijalkov was paid a large sum of money with "many zeroes" as bribe for purchasing the devices from Israel.



He also released a phone recording that allegedly showed Mijalkov discussing the payment of the bribe with an Israeli official. The opposition leader also presented a document detailing how an Israel official frequently visited Macedonia.



According to the local Netpres news agency, "Mijalkov denied the accusations, saying a 'donation' of 5.5 million euros ($5.9 million) was received for purchasing equipment for special police units."



This is not the first time Zaev has made such anti-government claims. Last February, he alleged that three intelligence employees illegally wiretapped some 20,000 people, including leading politicians, businessmen, journalists and judges in Macedonia.



He had blamed Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence Saso Mijalkov for the alleged wiretapping, and urged them to resign.



Police had charged Zaev and four other people for allegedly conspiring with a foreign intelligence serve to topple the government on Jan. 31. Gruevski in February strongly rejected all allegations, saying "threats and blackmail will not be accepted."



www.aa.com.tr/en - Saraybosna