A Prilep Prosecutor and Stafa's Testimony: Two Readings of the Same Money
Convicted lawyer Fehmi Stafa testified he did not bribe judge Gjoko Ristov, claiming he confessed earlier out of fear and under pressure — and that €20,000 was a legal fee, not part of the well-known 'walled-up' €350,000 sum.
Convicted lawyer Fehmi Stafa, in a court proceeding linked to the Prilep case, testified that he did not bribe judge Gjoko Ristov, claiming his earlier confession was made "out of fear and under pressure," not out of genuine guilt. Stafa specifically addressed the case involving €350,000, publicly known as money found "walled up," offering a different explanation for the origin of the funds.
According to the new testimony, €20,000 represented a legitimate legal fee for a service rendered, while €30,000 was a personal loan received "from Gavoloto" — an interpretation that fully diverges from the original version of events accepted in the form of a confession. The prosecution, for its part, maintains it has additional evidence and testimony, including statements from judges, disputing Stafa's new version.
The Prilep case has for some time been a test case for how capable the judicial system is of confronting its own corruption cases within its ranks. The distinction between a confession made under pressure and genuine testimony under oath is a central legal question the court will need to resolve, and the outcome will affect the credibility of the entire process against the judges and lawyers involved.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 7, 2026
