Charge against Agim Bahtiri is filed

Bahtiri's farm, along with candidates from other political parties, had been in the run for Mitrovica chairmanship in last October 22nd local elections.

The VV candidate, Fehmi Ferati, had failed to enter the run-off race after having finished third, until candidate from the AKR ranks Agim Bahtiri has won the election after defeating him in the second round, a candidate from PDK, Valdete Idrizi.

However, a few months after these elections have ended, Fehmi Ferati, on December 28, 2017, has filed a slander indictment against Agim Bahtiri, since he claims that during television debates during the election campaign, the mayor of Mitrovica has already slandered him.

The exercise of this indictment, for “Justice Vow”, has confirmed Fehmi Ferati and his lawyer, Arian Koci.

Ferati by this indictment requires compensation at a total value of 25 thousand euros from Agim Bahtiri, for the damages he claims were caused by his statements.

Former VV mayorial candidate requires 20 thousand euros for compensation for material damage, reportedly in the indictment, lost profits in the undertaking activities the plaintiff possesses, the company “Pro-FE-Media”, and complex “Villa Vladia”. Five thousand euros, however, are demanded by the claim of violating his authority, honor, freedoms, and personality rights.

According to the indictment, which has secured the “Justice Vow”, during the pre-election debate “Local Magaza” broadcast in Kosovo, on September 29, 2017, Agim Bahtiri has slandered against the candidate, Fehmi Ferati.

In the minute of 1:01:30, he slandered you by saying you owe 300 people in the villages. You've got villagers' cheese.

“Repeated during the same show, at 1:02:20, while the plaintiff was explaining his governing plan, saying that I have invested, in the Mitrovica municipality and I've been looking for investors, was interrupted by Bahtiri who said where did you get the money for investment? The Democratic Party has given in”, also said in the indictment, where, according to her, such a Bahtiri statement, is slanderer, insulting and false.

The indictment further says Bahtiri, knowing that his statement is untrue, but intended for “Ferce to portray him as a thief who has received products designated by citizens, and for that he has not paid the money”.

As for the plaintiff Ferati, in the indictment he has said he does not owe any peasant who bought the cheese and other milk products for the restaurant he owns in the Mitrovica municipality village of Vlachi.

In the indictment, it is also reported that in terms of Bahtir's second statement, the investment money has been secured by a party that Ferati does not belong to, the plaintiff considers these are false and political statements, which have been badly said to undermine his personality and image in the quality of the indictee's opponent in local mayoral elections.

It has been suggested that after these statements by Agim Bahtiri, entrepreneurial activity in Fehmi Ferat's property businesses has been declining in income generation, compared to previous years.

“Bahtiri deliberately attempted to expose Ferati to shame in his community, where through insulting statements he has denigrated my personality and damaged the reputation of entrepreneurial activities that are my property, causing me considerable material and immatial damage”, it is said among other things in the indictment. /Justice Trust/