The delay of the delivery of Chinese COVID-19 Sinopharm vaccines to North Macedonia has sparked a mini-scandal in the country, with officials accused of trying to procure the vaccines through irregular channels.

Italian newspaper La Verita published two articles on March 10 and March 11 saying that PM Zoran Zaev and Health Minister Venko Filipce tried to bypass the regular channels and to buy the vaccines through a Hong-Kong-registered phantom firm Stabri International Service, which was not in line with Chinese government standards.

The opposition VMRO-DPMNE party immediately reacted, seeking the resignation of Filipce and saying that the procurement via a private firm is a "criminal act".

Under pressure from the public and the opposition parties, the authorities in North Macedonia have been trying to get the COVID-19 vaccines for the last few months, especially after the promised doses through EU-approved manufacturers and the COVAX system did not arrive as expected.

Additionally, the fact that non-EU country Serbia has become a leader in vaccination in the region and Europe, has increased the pressure by showing that through bilateral contacts and successful diplomatic connections it is still possible to keep up with more powerful countries.

North Macedonia’s authorities initially were hoping that all vaccines would arrive from EU-approved Pfizer and AstraZeneca, but as the delivery did not take place according to plans, they first ordered Chinese vaccines which have not been shipped so far, and then the Russian Sputnik V, of which the first 3,000 doses have already arrived.

The first Chinese vaccines were to arrive by the end of February at the latest, but then it was announced that the advance payment for the order was returned, for which the authorities failed to give a satisfactory explanation. 

“The fact that a private company, which according to initial analysis did not have a solid foundation, but had sufficient funds deposited in the German Deutsche Bank, was hired to act as middleman in the procurement by the North Macedonia’s government, make official Beijing to fear of fraud, which led to canceling of the procedure,” La Verita commented on March 10.

In the latest article on March 11, La Verita wrote that it has two letters from Filipce. In the first letter, Sinopharm was informed on December 25, 2020 that Stabri International was authorised to coordinate the procedure, and in the second from January 25, the minister wrote that the Chinese manufacturer will be released from any responsibility for the possible negative effects of the vaccine.

In a Facebook post, MP from VMRO-DPMNE and former foreign minister Antonio Milososki accused Zaev and Filipce of trying to profit from commissions by hiring a phantom firm, at a time when citizens fear for their health and life.

"On whose account did Zaev and Filipce send the advance payment for 200,000 vaccines and was the race for commissions the main reason why China did not want to sign a vaccine agreement with Zaev's government?" Milososki asked in the post.

PM Zaev denied any “bad intentions” or illegal actions, saying that the government was making utmost efforts to procure vaccines through all possible channels including from Chinese companies that work in the country, like Sinohydro and POWERCHINA, after they failed to directly reach out to Sinopharm.

After the order went through a private company, the move was not approved by the foreign ministry, so the advance payment was withdrawn.

“In the end, we decided that we should proceed through the Chinese embassy,” Zaev explained.

Filipce confirmed that the method of vaccine procurement was changed after the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised the Macedonian authorities to use other channels in the procurement.

“I absolutely deny that it is a scandal or anything else,” Filipce said.

Filipce said that the government has always been guided by two principles, watchfulness and regularity, while trying to procure vaccines.

"I condemn all these attempts by the opposition to tarnish the government's reputation and jeopardise the immunisation process," Filipce said.

Meanwhile, North Macedonia’s state anti-corruption commission decided on March 11 to collect more information about the procurement of the Chinese vaccines and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to open a case.

La Verita has been known to the public in North Macedonia since it leaked audio recordings in 2019 which showed the involvement of former chief special prosecutor Katica Janeca in the high profile “Extortion” scandal that relates to the extortion of money from businessman Orce Kamcev.

The scandal put Janeva in prison to serve seven-year sentence, but later following an appeal she was put under house arrest.