There are rumors that
over 30 thousand fake IDs were seized. A year ago, the public opinion was
scandalized by the affair of biometric passports falsification. At that time,
it was said that foreign services also involved Islamic Religious Community
(IRC) of the Republic of Macedonia (RM) in the falsification. Turkish citizens
had to go to Hajj.
By Mathew Davis
These days the public opinion of the country was scandalized by an affair which, moreover, shows the "clinical death" of key state institutions. The affair brought to light the existence of about 30 thousand fake ID cards that are used during the last parliamentary elections. Actually, the relevant state institutions already possess a considerable number of these IDs and, after appropriate analysis that will be done, should urgently come up with concrete data. What is already clear is the fact that in this affair the database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has been used, whereas high officials of MIA also took part in this secret project. Surprisingly, even the representatives of the Macedonian party that co-leads requires from the current police minister Oliver Spasovski, the General Secretary of the SDSM, to clarify the affair as soon as possible and bring before the justice all evildoers. Therefore both parties were found to be shocked by the affair, while VMRO through its insistence for affair clarification wants to embed a belief in the public that this falsification is the doing of the SDSM people. However, the public opinion, not further than a year ago, was shocked by another affair, which was bigger than the above cited and which badly affected the same Ministry and the current government. The local media in Skopje published a video showing how fake biometric passports were printed in a closed environment. The space where the passports were printed was either a private house or apartment. An unknown person, who nevertheless has been involved in the falsification, has recorded every detail of fake biometric passports printing. Over the tables and floors were visible a large number of printed passports, other documents, stamps and signatures of the MIA and other biometric materials, while all these were prepared with special machinery for passports. This case was never brought to light, but the image of the respective institutions and the state itself was severely damaged. Such a falsification was silenced, which undoubtedly had generated a large amount of material benefits. The data of foreign services had considered this falsification case as the IRC's work in cooperation with specific people from the DUI lines as well as senior officials of the MIA. It's not by accident that this affair was preceded by the US State Department report which among others stressed the huge benefits of an already-identified person from the IRC selling visas to Hajj at amount of 400 euros, which are provided free of charge by the Arab Foreign Ministry. Going to Hajj is limited, so each state has its limited quota regarding Muslims sending on the Hajj. Such a legal restriction affects most the Turkish citizens who are able to pay hefty towards finding ways to go to Hajj. Macedonia has a quota that does not match with the real number of Muslims in the country. And precisely such a quota was filled with the number of citizens of Turkey who wanted to go to the Hajj.The criteria for obtaining the Arabia visa was to be a resident of Macedonia, having a document which would prove such a citizenship and the passport is the most valid document to prove it. Therefore, it is not by accident that the photographed passports which served for illustration and verification of the news, belong to Turkish citizens. Perhaps this is why the scandal was hushed up and forgotten very quickly. Turks were given false passports just to travel to the Hajj and these passports can never be used again, because Turkish citizens go to Hajj only once while they already have the Turkish passport. But how all those individuals of the IRC, officials of DUI and MIA of Jankullovska can be forgotten, who benefited large amount of money from such an act of forgery. Based on the diplomatic language such an act would be considered a protocol disloyalty, whereas the language of the criminal code would call the work of organized crime by the relevant state institutions, an act worthy of the "banana republic". The measures against this scandalous forgery should not be just the "isolation of the institution" as it can be seen that in the case of the IRC. In this case, even the moral measures would also constitute an offense. This act of forgery and all persons involved should be brought to court for the irresponsibility in violating law.
By Mathew Davis
These days the public opinion of the country was scandalized by an affair which, moreover, shows the "clinical death" of key state institutions. The affair brought to light the existence of about 30 thousand fake ID cards that are used during the last parliamentary elections. Actually, the relevant state institutions already possess a considerable number of these IDs and, after appropriate analysis that will be done, should urgently come up with concrete data. What is already clear is the fact that in this affair the database of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has been used, whereas high officials of MIA also took part in this secret project. Surprisingly, even the representatives of the Macedonian party that co-leads requires from the current police minister Oliver Spasovski, the General Secretary of the SDSM, to clarify the affair as soon as possible and bring before the justice all evildoers. Therefore both parties were found to be shocked by the affair, while VMRO through its insistence for affair clarification wants to embed a belief in the public that this falsification is the doing of the SDSM people. However, the public opinion, not further than a year ago, was shocked by another affair, which was bigger than the above cited and which badly affected the same Ministry and the current government. The local media in Skopje published a video showing how fake biometric passports were printed in a closed environment. The space where the passports were printed was either a private house or apartment. An unknown person, who nevertheless has been involved in the falsification, has recorded every detail of fake biometric passports printing. Over the tables and floors were visible a large number of printed passports, other documents, stamps and signatures of the MIA and other biometric materials, while all these were prepared with special machinery for passports. This case was never brought to light, but the image of the respective institutions and the state itself was severely damaged. Such a falsification was silenced, which undoubtedly had generated a large amount of material benefits. The data of foreign services had considered this falsification case as the IRC's work in cooperation with specific people from the DUI lines as well as senior officials of the MIA. It's not by accident that this affair was preceded by the US State Department report which among others stressed the huge benefits of an already-identified person from the IRC selling visas to Hajj at amount of 400 euros, which are provided free of charge by the Arab Foreign Ministry. Going to Hajj is limited, so each state has its limited quota regarding Muslims sending on the Hajj. Such a legal restriction affects most the Turkish citizens who are able to pay hefty towards finding ways to go to Hajj. Macedonia has a quota that does not match with the real number of Muslims in the country. And precisely such a quota was filled with the number of citizens of Turkey who wanted to go to the Hajj.The criteria for obtaining the Arabia visa was to be a resident of Macedonia, having a document which would prove such a citizenship and the passport is the most valid document to prove it. Therefore, it is not by accident that the photographed passports which served for illustration and verification of the news, belong to Turkish citizens. Perhaps this is why the scandal was hushed up and forgotten very quickly. Turks were given false passports just to travel to the Hajj and these passports can never be used again, because Turkish citizens go to Hajj only once while they already have the Turkish passport. But how all those individuals of the IRC, officials of DUI and MIA of Jankullovska can be forgotten, who benefited large amount of money from such an act of forgery. Based on the diplomatic language such an act would be considered a protocol disloyalty, whereas the language of the criminal code would call the work of organized crime by the relevant state institutions, an act worthy of the "banana republic". The measures against this scandalous forgery should not be just the "isolation of the institution" as it can be seen that in the case of the IRC. In this case, even the moral measures would also constitute an offense. This act of forgery and all persons involved should be brought to court for the irresponsibility in violating law.
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