The National Unit for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime (NUCCOC) in Sveti Nikole has filed criminal charges with the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sveti Nikole against D.P. (39) from Skopje for the criminal offense of “negligent performance of official duties” under Article 383-b, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.
The suspect, D.P., during the period from 18 November 2022 to 21 August 2024, in her capacity as Chairperson of the Commission responsible for assessing compliance with the requirements regarding premises, equipment, and personnel for the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes at the Ministry of Health, acted negligently in the performance of her official powers and duties.
Although, pursuant to Article 29-b, Paragraph 5, Item 3 and Article 29-v, Paragraph 5 of the Law on the Control of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, she was required to organize inspections of cannabis cultivation at least twice during the period from planting/sowing to harvest, she failed to organize or carry out inspections at a legal entity in Sveti Nikole licensed for the production of medical cannabis.
Despite receiving notifications from the company during 2022 and 2023, the suspect failed to undertake the legally required inspections, acting contrary to the above-mentioned provisions of the law. As a result, she enabled the company to produce an excess of 56 kilograms of cannabis, as established in the inspection report dated 19 February 2025.