Kosovo risks visas due to these two court cases

The Constitutional Court in Pristina has left two years blocked a substance dealing with organised crime, which includes the purchase of 36 hectares of the Pristina municipality and Gracanica, privatised at far lower prices than the real market price.

By 2017, when the initial screening hearing was held, no more hearings in this criminal case were held. Senior officials, including former judges, AKP officials, lawyers, swimmers and businessmen, are accused in this case.

It has been about two years since the second initial review hearing was held in the case of Hasan Pristina's great-great-great-great-great-time businessman Mehmet Pristina and 23 other indictees for “organised crime”, “Leaning”, “Conversion of illegal judicial decisions”, “Using official position”, “falsification of documents” and “Grabitje”

Although at the session held in October 2017 at the Constitutional Court in Pristina, the protection of 24 indictees had submitted their objections and had demanded that the indictment be dropped since that day, the parties have not accepted any decision about their request by the court judge Becir Kaluldra.

This case was originally in the hands of international judges, but in 2017 it had surrendered to locals and, like internationals, protection of the accused had made the same request, to drop the indictment.

However, neither the internationals nor the defence establishments have received an answer, causing the case to be put on hold for two years now.

Foundation Court officials in Pristina give no reason about the nearly two-year procrastination of this trial process.

While the case in question concerns “Organised crime”, which is one of the acts targeted by courts for visa liberalisation, this Court has provided no details of the neglect of this large case.

The Pristina Constitutional Court spokeswoman, Mirlinda Gashi, has given no concrete reasons about dragging the case, except that very soon it will be decided on this criminal case.