Corruption Threat to Country Development

Corruption and organised crime are a threat to the rule of law and rule of law in Kosovo. Despite the rise in cases handled, corruption in Kosovo still remains high, especially in public procurement, health, privatisation and elsewhere that public money is presented.

So said at the conference organised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on the occasion of completing the week's anti-corruption.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Abdulselim Shkodra said that in the last year, fighting these phenomena has risen by 30 percent, but corruption still poses a threat to Kosovo.

“However, corruption and organised crime remain among the main challenges and threats of the state of Kosovo in the area of law, rule of law and development in general. The fight against corruption and organised crime in Kosovo's institutions is considered continued and unstopable duty that requires intensifying necessary activities and actions”, Shkodra said.

The representative of the US Embassy in Kosovo, ICITAP Chief Chief Kimberly Riffe, said corruption is a disease that negatively affects every aspect.

“40 years later today that we continue to rise against corruption, corruption is a disease that negatively affects every aspect of life from basic infrastructure to the highest government level. The American Embassy in Kosovo expresses its position that rule of law is a priority. Criminal acts like corruption must be addressed with determination and strengthening rule of law is our main focus. There must be access by the entire government against corruption, prosecutors, judicial system and correctional institutions working together to identify and investigate and condemn criminals”, she has said.

The representative of the EU office in Kosovo has called for the adoption of several laws, which, according to him, are key to fighting crime and corruption. According to him, it is very important that the law for preventing conflict of interest, it is for the state prosecutor and the law on expanding the confiscation of mutual wealth is approved by the Assembly.

While Riza Shillova from Kosovo Police has presented statistics and organised activities regarding organised crime and corruption. However, he stressed that prevention and fighting organised crime and corruption remain one of their main concerns.

During this year's eleven-month period, we have realised a total of 160 cases, respectively, we have investigated 160 cases of criminal corruption, where 113 criminal charges were filed against 245 people. What is of particular interest to us is the investigation into high-profile corruption, and in this direction the special Anti-corruption Department, over this period has made six criminal charges against 14 high-profile crime suspects, six charges against 18 defendants have been filed, and another 40x1> prosecution cases are under way, Silda stressed.

He also spoke of more specific forms in which corruption and organised crime are presented.

This conference was organised under the week's anti-corruption 2017.