The first defendant in the case known as the misuse of money from European funds, former director of the National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility Lidija Dimova, as well as the third defendant Ana Pavlidou pleaded not guilty to the acts of "abuse of official position and authority" at today's court hearing. "malpractice in service" and "fraud" charged against them. The second defendant, Aleksandar Gochev, who is accused of the crime of "fraud", pleaded guilty, after which the judge Fanka Janchuleva Mihailovska separated the two proceedings.

Last year, the basic public prosecutor's office for prosecuting organized crime and corruption filed charges against the former director of the Agency Dimova, as well as the then external associate Gochev and the treasurer at the Agency Pavlidu. They are charged with misuse of European money, and according to the estimates of the Prosecutor's Office, the damage amounts to 19,945.731 denars or about 320.000 euros.

According to the prosecution, Dimova worked contrary to the Law on Public Procurement and the Law on the Establishment of a National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility when concluding contracts with collaborators, experts and trainers.

- Disregarding the principles of legality, equality and publicity, without announcing a public competition, she did not act conscientiously, expertly and impartially and discriminated against potential candidates, enabling several outsiders with whom she concluded individual contracts and hired them as collaborators, experts, trainers and others - announced at that time by the Prosecutor's Office for Prosecution of Organized Crime and Corruption.

At the same time, as they explained from there, contrary to the guide of the European Commission and the public procurement plan, five times in 2018, when using European money, it worked contrary to the principles of economy, efficiency and effectiveness, that is, it did not publish public procurement announcements. did not comply with the general rules and did not conduct procedures for public procurement, but concluded contracts with four legal entities enabling them to acquire property benefits.

The prosecutor's office also noted irregularities in the spending of money for business trips.

- At the same time, the first defendant acted contrary to the Decree amending the Decree on expenses for business trips and moving abroad and contrary to the provisions of the by-laws that specify the operation of the National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility - the statement said .

Therefore, the accused employee was paid almost one million denars or about 15.300 euros for business trips by the treasurer.