Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Macedonia
Newsline: US embassy accused of insulting Macedonia
The advertising campaign of the US embassy to Skopje insulted the Macedonian society, writes Macedonian Utrinski Vesnik daily writes. The embassy launched a campaign appealing for observation of the laws, placing billboards and posters, which compare the citizens to animals. “You are not a pig. Observe the law for cleaner Macedonia”, reads one of the slogans. Other says “Kids are not calves. Send them to school” and “You are not a fish to stay silent. Stop the domestic violence!”
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n272756
Newsline: Ambassador’s ex-lover granted bail
The former girlfriend of the Macedonian ambassador to Australia wanted to end his political career when she allegedly broke into his home and stole his laptop, a court has heard. Lidija Dumbaloska was granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court after being charged with blackmail, theft, burglary and using a carriage service to menace ambassador Pero Stojanovski. In a statement of facts, police allege the defendant entered the Griffith home on December 27 with a key the ambassador gave her when they were together. The ambassador told police Dumbaloska then called him from his house and said she was taking his computer. Mr Stojanovski told investigators the laptop contained sensitive information relating to his work at the Macedonian embassy. The defendant is also accused of taking a number of other items including a modem, a laptop bag and mobile phone SIM cards. Police allege the Rail Corp employee, who has worked for the state-owned corporation for 11 years and holds a masters degree in project management, demanded $150,000 and 40,000 euros for the return of the laptop. The court heard the pair’s relationship ended in June last year. It is alleged Dumbaloska contacted members of Mr Stojanovski’s family about information contained on the laptop, and made copies of files. Information about holidays the ambassador embarked on was also forwarded to several Macedonian newspapers, according to the statement of facts. Police raided the woman’s Bankstown home on New Years Eve and seized a number of items, including the laptop, which are being analysed by investigators. Dumbaloska was arrested on Friday, faced an extradition hearing in Parramatta Local Court on New Years Day and spent the weekend in custody.
Newsline: Ex-lover ‘menaced’ diplomat
The former girlfriend of the Macedonian ambassador to Australia, Pero Stojanovski, has been arrested and was expected to be charged last night with menacing the ambassador, breaking into his home and attempting to blackmail him. Lidija Dumbaloska appeared yesterday in the Parramatta Local Court, where details were aired of how her relationship of more than a year with the ambassador had soured so badly that it ended in allegations of blackmail, burglary and an affair. Ms Dumbaloska was arrested on New Year’s Eve after Australian Federal Police searched her Bankstown home and seized items, including a laptop. The federal police told the court that Ms Dumbaloska was expected to be charged with serious offences including blackmail, burglary and using a carriage service to menace or harass the ambassador. But her lawyer, Kylie Anderson, told the court the matter had nothing to do with the ambassador’s official position – it was just a personal situation gone bad. The court was told that trouble started for the couple on Christmas Eve, when their relationship broke down. Police have alleged that 37-year-old Ms Dumbaloska, an electrical engineer with RailCorp for 11 years, broke into the Canberra home of the ambassador last Monday and took items including a laptop, briefcase and hotel receipts. Ms Anderson said the only reason Ms Dumbaloska took the items was because she believed Mr Stojanovski had been having an affair. But police said they would also allege Ms Dumbaloska had made threats to the ambassador, including ”seeking his resignation” and threatening that she would put information on the internet that was likely to cause him distress. Police say they will also allege that Ms Dumbaloska had told the ambassador that she would only return the laptop in exchange for money. Police arrested her on New Year’s Eve and held her in custody overnight. Bail was refused and she was to be transferred to Canberra in police custody where police told the court she was expected to be charged. Mr Stojanovski was unavailable for comment.
http://m.smh.com.au/national/exlover-menaced-diplomat-20110101-19cin.html
