North Macedonia probes money laundering case in Football Federation
Officers from the Financial Police Office (FPO) and the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia searched homes, business premises, and individuals at several locations across Skopje, following criminal charges pressed against three persons employed in the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM), managers, owners, and authorized persons of legal entities.
Two former FFM presidents are suspected of the crime of embezzlement in office, while the head of the finance and accounting department, the head of the referee department, 14 managers, owners, and authorized persons of legal entities are charged with embezzlement in office and money laundering, the FPO said in a press release, CE Report quotes MIA.
Evidence in the preliminary investigation shows that the prime suspect, in the capacity of FFM president and in agreement with the head of the finance and accounting department, embezzled funds in the amount of Mden 127.5 million (EUR 2.07 million) between 1 January 2015 and 25 July 2018.
Furthermore, the second suspect, also an FFM president and again in agreement with the head of the finance and accounting department, embezzled funds in the amount of Mden 53.3 million (EUR 865,500) between 25 July 2018 and 10 October 2019.
The suspected head of the finance and accounting department manipulated the federation's accounting records, whereas the federation presidents signed 728 payment orders without proper documentation attached in the amount of Mden 180.8 million (EUR 2.93 million).
The suspected managers and owners of legal entities issued false invoices on alleged services rendered and goods delivered to FFM, which served as grounds for the payment orders. The funds acquired through the crime were run through the country's financial systems in order to cover up their illicit origin.
Twelve persons have been detained, while five are still at large. Documents, cash, and electronic devices have been seized during the searches, reads the press release.
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