Disciplinary investigations begin for two Serbian judges receive salary of over 1,000 euros without working

Last week, it has been reported that as judges from the north, Ruzica Sibiu and Zoran Pavic, since 2008, they have done their job as judges in Mitrovica, despite the same ones being paid over 1,000 euros a month. The Kosovo Judiciary Council continues to ignore the Express's request for clarification on this case.

The case of two Serbian judges, Ruzica Sinher and Zoran Pavic, who since 2008 did not do their job at the Constitutional Court of Mitrovica, as well as when this court has been in the district, despite being paid monthly by Kosovo's budget, has started to be investigated by the Disciplinary Prosecutor's Office in Pristina.

Just 6 days after reporting on the case in question, which has confirmed the task of the head of the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica, Ali Kotlovci, the ZPD has announced that “has opened a disciplinary investigation of judges in question for possible improper behaviour”.

“The Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor (ZPD), after receiving information about the failure of two judges of the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica, under official duty has initially collected relevant information and then opened a disciplinary investigation of judges in question of possible improper behaviour. Since disciplinary investigations into the two judges you ask about are continuing and are expected to end soon, the ZPD for now cannot give you more information regarding this case”, says the disciplinary Prosecutor's Office's Office's response.

Zef Perndrecaj, who heads this office, has said he cannot show whether the judges in question will continue to receive their salaries, at least now, until they are under disciplinary investigation, as this is the competence of the Judiciary Council's bodies.

If the two judges continue to receive salaries, you can point that question to The KRS because the judges' salaries are not administered by the ZPD, but by the KDR Secretariat. So, in this question, the ZPD has no authority to answer to you”, Prendrecaj said.

But, KDR Chairman Nehat Idrizi has continued to ignore Gazeta Express questions for clarification in the case of Serbian judges who for nearly 10 years do not work at the Constitutional Court in Mitrovica.

Although he had demanded that questions be taken off by e-mail, Idrizi has not yet answered, after nearly a week, despite repeated questions.

On the other hand, each of these two Serbian judges -- Ruzica Sibius and Zoran Pavic -- is estimated to receive a total from Kosovo's state budget of over 14,000 euros a year for the division of justice in Mitrovica, a function none of them committed since 2008. The monthly salary for judges in the Constitutional Court in Kosovo is estimated at around 1,200 euros a month.

Ali Kutlovci, who exercises the post of court speaker in Mitrovica last week, confirmed that over time, he has personally announced the Kosovo Judiciary Council's absences of Serbian judges, for which he said only a month have been submitted to the office over the past 10 years.

Given that the two Serbian judges without any problem have continued to be involved for so long in a court where they have done no work, the Disciplinary Prosecutor's Office does not confirm the expansion of disciplinary investigations to Mitrovica Foundation Court leaders or even to those responsible at the Kosovo Judiciary Council. But the head of this office does not rule out such an opportunity to expand the investigation.

The ZPD is currently conducting disciplinary investigations of only two judges of the Foundation Court in Mitrovica, of which you ask. Depending on the findings of the ZPD, I will evaluate based on the facts, evidence and applicable law how I will act further”, Zef Prendrecaj says.

Otherwise, Zoran Pavic is decreed as judge at the General Criminal Department of the Constitutional Court of Mitrovica since this court functioned as the District Court. In the Mitrovica Foundation Court section, on the KRG site, there is no record of the Serbian judge in question.

Until, for Judge Ruzica Singhi, this site provides some information, but they're very flawed and unsurpassed. It says that Sinher is committed as a judge at the Randa Crime Department. But, Express has learned that since 2013, when the Mitrovica District Court was transformed into the Constitutional Court, Singleness has been judge in the general department of this court.