The Basic Prosecutor's Office in Skopje has opened several cases in relation to the release of private telephone conversations acquired during an illegal wiretapping of two high officials with the Democratic Union for Integration party, Telegraf.mk has learnt.
The involved DUI officials are MP Ermira Mehmeti and Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, Musa Xhaferi. The recorded conversations were uploaded on YouTube these past few days and were shared on social networks.
"In relation to the released conversations, we would like to inform you that the Basic Prosecutor's Office has opened several cases following citizens' reports and actions have been taken," officials with the authority have told the news portal.
When asked about the stage of the investigative procedure and whether certain individuals can be summoned to give statements in connection to the case, the Prosecutor's Office said that no more details can be disclosed at this moment.
Following the release of the conversations, both Mehmeti and Xhaferi claimed they are doctored and edited.
In a statement given for Albanian news portal Dritare, Mehmeti claims the recording is doctored and that she knows who is behind the 'scandal', as she said. The lawmaker also said she received threats by the underground and that she is persuaded to go all the way through with the case so that the public too could learn who is responsible for it.
Xhaferi's position is the same as Mehmeti's. According to him, the recording is edited and set up by people who blackmail DUI officials.
After the conversations were shared in the public, DUI also said it would file criminal charges against the media that will re-release them.