Over 500 corruption substances in courts

Kosovo's justice mechanisms say that they currently have over 500 subjects under way that are being addressed and connected with alleged corruption cases. More than 750 suspected individuals are involved in these subjects.

In the State Prosecutor's Office, they say that efficiency is gradually being done with all the subjects related to serious economic crimes.

The chief state prosecutor has a separate unit operating as the supervisory commission to implement the 2016/2018 action plan for corruption and economic crimes.

Prosecutor Laura Pula, who is part of this unit, told REL is effectively conducting the materials at the country level.

“Referring to the last 9-month of January-September 2018, at the whole level we had 538 substances while accepting new materials at this period of 294 time. What it means is that at the end of this period of time, 315 matter of 754 people has not been accomplished. If you look at the trends achieved, with the materials performed, then you can say that over 100 percent have achieved the efficiency of doing the matter at the local level. Based on accepted materials that are 294, while 315 matter with 754 persons has been completed, Pula said.

She said that, at the end of this period of time, 114 matter of 351 people has remained unprecedented. Prosecutor Pula said that for the review of the corruption-related matter there is an added commitment to all prosecutors, but, as she said, at the Pristina Constitutional Prosecutor's Office, it is a more satisfactory level.

So we as a commission consider that at the end of the year a very small number of subjects, rather than having this 9-month. As the other issue, it must now be continued with merit decisions on the part of the” courts, Pula said.

In Kosovo there are mechanisms and organs for fighting corruption phenomenon, but based on reports of international and local organisations, fighting this phenomenon still remains on a very low scale.

Blerim Kelmendi, director of the Corruption Fighting Department at the Anti-Corruption Agency, told REL that the agency this year has handled over 250 cases suspected of corruption.

From these cases, more than 90 have resulted in elements of suspicion of criminal acts against official duty and corruption, including inacquacy and false property statements. Similarly, the prevention agency has handled 90 cases of prevention of conflict of interest, with more than 25 cases avoided conflict of interest. In addition, 90 cases of preventing corruption in public procurement activities have been addressed, drawing over 75 preventive opinions”, Kelmendi said. Kelmendi said the alleged corruption cases have to do with all high-level cases and others without exception.

High levels of corruption and organised crime are highlighted in almost all international reports, as well as in the investigative reports of local organisations, such as “one of Kosovo's biggest development problems”.

The international organisation Transparency International in its latest corruption perception index in Kosovo has stressed that easy progress has been made in fighting corruption, compared to the previous year when it was 95th place with 36 points.

The non-governmental Kosovo Democratic Institute as an official member of the global anti-corruption movement, Transparency International, says that, in the internal sense, a large part of the charges dealing with cases of corruption filed by prosecutors have been rejected by the courts.