How an IRL investigation uncovered inflated contracts, institutional complicity, and millions lost from North Macedonia’s state budget
Maja Jovanovska and Bojan Stojanovski’s investigation for North Macedonia’s Investigative Reporting Lab (IRL), won the 2025 EU Investigative Journalism Regional award for exposing large-scale corruption involving public and private actors. This also marks the second regional award for the IRL team, as they were the first winners of the award when it was introduced in 2023.
Their latest award-winning investigation, “A postal clerk protected the power plants of ESM from ash, while the state budget was left ‘ash-covered’”, laid bare systemic corruption in state procurement. It provided clear evidence of public financial loss by tracing inflated contracts and poor oversight, showing how weaknesses in procurement exploited taxpayer money.
When Jovanovska and Stojanovski began examining procurement contracts linked to North Macedonia’s state-owned power plants, they were responding to early public concerns about irregular spending. What initially appeared to be a limited issue soon revealed itself as a much deeper and more troubling pattern, one rooted in inflated prices, weak oversight, and systemic institutional failure.
Jovanovska explains that the investigation was driven by a sense of professional responsibility and the need to determine whether public funds were being misused.
“There were early indications that state contracts for chemical additives used in power plants were irregular,” she notes, adding that the issue quickly proved to be systemic rather than accidental.
Examining procurement documentation quickly clarified the seriousness: contract prices far exceeded market value, and companies with no relevant background secured multi-million-euro deals. Further verification through data analysis and conversations with industry insiders confirmed that the irregularities pointed to a broader pattern affecting public resources.
The reporting relied on a methodical, data-driven approach. The journalists gathered procurement documents from public registries and official announcements, analysed pricing structures, compared them with international benchmarks, and mapped links between companies and public officials. Interviews with experts, former employees, and whistleblowers provided crucial context, while every finding was verified through multiple independent sources.
Access to information was one of the key challenges.
While official registries and procurement databases were essential, many of the most revealing insights came from insider sources who requested anonymity.
“Insider sources, some of whom requested anonymity, provided context that numbers alone could not show,” Jovanovska explains.
Public institutions and private actors alike showed resistance, and some documents were difficult to obtain, requiring persistence and careful verification.
One of the most alarming discoveries was the scale of the financial damage.
Chemical additives were purchased at three to four times their market price, often from companies with no prior experience. Even more concerning was the apparent involvement of high-ranking officials, including those formally responsible for preventing corruption, who facilitated or directly participated in the process.
As Jovanovska points out, corruption in this case went beyond financial loss, striking at the core of public trust and institutional integrity.
The investigation triggered a strong public reaction and extensive media coverage, amplifying concerns about the misuse of taxpayer money. Importantly, the reporting also prompted institutional action.
Prosecutors opened a formal investigation, resulting in charges against 31 individuals and five companies, a rare outcome that underscored the impact of rigorous investigative journalism.
The investigation exposed not just isolated misconduct but also widespread vulnerabilities in procurement and oversight frameworks, enabling repeated malpractice. Planned reporting will now examine institutional accountability for this systemic breakdown.
Reflecting on the work, Jovanovska emphasises persistence, thorough verification, and trust-building with sources as essential elements of investigative reporting.
Above all, she stresses the importance of purpose: “Always keep the public interest at the center of your reporting, because the stakes are real, and your work can make a difference.”, she concludes.
