Protesters and masked persons entered the parliament on april 27. Photo: Anadolu agency

An Interior Ministry report completed last week but not yet made public says a violent attack on parliament by VMRO DPMNE party supporters on April 27 was not spontaneous.

Unnamed sources who participated in the Interior Ministry commission that prepared the report told the ‘Kod TV’ investigative programme on Sunday on Telma TV that the document suggests that “police officers, commanders and office holders” were among those who allegedly took part in the planning of the violence in parliament on April 27.

According to the sources, the report notes that on the day of the violence, the police “failed to undertake enough activities” to curb the violence and “lacked an appropriate evaluation of the security risks” despite the fact that certain so-called ‘patriotic associations’ were publicly announcing the possibility of clashes.

The sources claimed that the report reveals a connection between the masked assailants who were seen in parliament and the security forces.

Ten MPs injured during rampage The violence in parliament began just after 6pm local time on April 27 when a majority of 67 MPs in the 120-seat parliament elected the new parliamentary speaker, Talat Xhaferi – widely regarded as the next step towards the establishment of the new SDSM-led coalition government which was finally elected last week. The VMRO-DPMNE, which had been trying to avoid losing power by preventing the election of a new speaker for months, complained that the move was unlawful. Violent protesters, including people wearing black hoods who some suspect of being police officers, were allowed to rampage inside parliament for about two hours, virtually unopposed by the riot police, injuring some 100 people, including ten MPs from the new majority. Zoran Zaev, who is now Prime Minister, was also injured, sustaining deep cuts to his forehead.

The report notes that there is evidence some of the masked assailants were allowed to enter the building prior to the incident, and that they were smuggled inside from one of the rear entrances and spent the day hiding inside the offices of parliament security personnel.

The report further notes that another group of masked assailants, who were stationed in a restaurant near parliament, entered the building from the front entrance together with the first wave of protesters.

According to the report, this explains why masked people were seen on video footage appearing at the same time in front and behind the small police cordon stationed in parliament’s main entry hall, giving instructions to the crowd to breach the blockade.

The report also says that police are in possession of security footage from one of the commercial banks showing people in a vehicle handing out black hoods to people who are believed to have participated in the attack.

According to the sources, many top-ranking police officials, including then provisional Interior Minister Agim Nuhiu, gave statements to the commission, enabling it to form an exact timeline of the events.

Only the chief of the Public Safety Bureau, Mitko Cavkov, who was directly in charge of the police’s command centre that night, and who heads the uniformed police, refused to give a statement.

Organised Crime Prosecution takes case The Public Prosecution has faced a lot of flak for charging only direct assailants, nine of whom were given probation sentences and exited the courtroom with smiles on their faces. Critics insisted on a full investigation that would determine the potential instigators and helpers as well. But in what was seen as a potential breakthrough in the case, last week the prosecution informed the public that it is handing over the investigation to the Organised Crime Prosecution which is in charge of more complex cases. A video also appeared in May, showing MPs from the former ruling VMRO DPMNE party opening parliament’s main gate, allowing their supporters to enter the building and begin the bloody rampage. So far none of the MPs who were seen on the footage have been held accountable.

Cavkov, who the provisional Interior Minister accused of being unreachable much of that night, was unavailable for comment.

Cavkov is currently on vacation and has meanwhile activated his retirement which should begin shortly.

He last appeared in public shortly after the violence, dismissing claims that he was allegedly working under VMRO DPMNE party instructions, insisting that there was no way for the police to anticipate the scale of the violence that day.

If the ministry does not send the report to the prosecution, the biggest penalty that senior and lower-ranking police officers would face, if found responsible, is suspension.

However, the Interior Ministry, now led by new minister Oliver Spasovski, may hand over the report to the prosecution, which can decide on the possibility of criminal charges.