Fehmi Stafa, former state prosecutor and lawyer, is already in Shutka prison. Sentence: one year and three months. Charge: accepting a 50,000-euro bribe to influence an appellate judge. He struck a deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty and went directly behind bars.

The scheme is textbook. Stafa received 30,000 euros on October 6, 2025, from the sister of Lupcho Petsov - known as "The Devil" - a fugitive charged with crimes against public finances. On December 13, he demanded and received another 20,000 euros. Immediately after receiving the second payment, he was arrested with the cash on him.

100,000 euros to lift detention

Initially, Stafa demanded 100,000 euros to mediate with Judge Gjorgje Ristov of the Court of Appeals to lift the detention order against Petsov. He received half. The organized crime prosecution specified that these 50,000 euros are separate from the 350,000 euros found buried in the yard of Judge Ristov's parents.

Stafa served as state prosecutor from 2018 to 2022. After his dismissal, he worked as a lawyer and was among the candidates for a seat on the Judicial Council. Meaning: a man who applied to be part of the body that oversees judges - was taking bribes to influence judges.

350,000 euros buried in a yard, 50,000 euros in a former prosecutor's pocket, a judge under investigation - all for a fugitive known as "The Devil." If this were a movie, nobody would believe it. But this is Macedonian justice, where reality is always more shocking than fiction.