Saso mijalkov biography of rory

North Macedonia&#;s former secret police chief Saso Mijalkov in front of the Skopje Criminal Court. Archive photo: EPA/EFE/Gerogi Licovski

In a first-instance verdict that may be appealed, a court in North Macedonia has jailed former intelligence agency chief Saso Mijalkov for three years and the leader of the small opposition Democratic Party of Albanians, Menduh Thaci, for three years and two months, for applying illegal influence and for misuse of office.

The two were sentenced as part of a Special Prosecution case, codenamed “Titanic 2”, for making a deal during the local elections.

The agreement was to influence the decisions of the then members of the Electoral Commission, DIK, so that the vote for the post of mayor in the southeastern municipality of Strumica would be annulled and repeated.

Mijalkov was found guilty of “illegally influencing” the election.

Thaci was found guilty of “misuse of office”, along with several former members of the DIK.

Former DIK member Be