BLACE / SKOPJE – Former First Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Artan Grubi, was arrested early on 23 February, at the Blace border crossing while entering North Macedonia from Kosovo.
The detained Grubi was wanted under an active arrest warrant issued as part of criminal investigation into alleged corruption, abuse of power, and violations of public procurement laws.
Authorities have confirmed that after his arrest at Blace, Grubi was transported inot custody for further legal proceedings. The public prosecutor’s office is expected to provide additional details as the case moves forward.
Prosecutors allege these offenses are linked to contracts and decisions in the State Lottery of North Macedonia that caused significant financial damage, estimated more than 8 million euros to tu state budget.
Grubi and others, including former State Lottery head Perparim Bajrami, were previously the subject of international arrest warrants issued by Macedonian authorities amid allegations of misappropriation related to the purchase of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and other questionable procurement acctions.
In December 2024, Grubi was placed on the US State Department’s „non-grata“ blacklist for alleged involvement in significant corruption, including accepting bribes to undermine judicial processes tied to high-profile criminal convictions.
Grubi served as First Deputy during the 2020-2024 goverment term, representing the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI). Before his ministerial role, Grubi was active in national politics as a member of parliament and held various leadership positions within his political party.
