Investigations expected to lead to wage cuts for fraud veterans

Kosovo's Special Prosecutor confirms that after the investigation, which will be held concerning the case known as the KLA veterans' list, an indictment will be proposed, which will be sent to the court that veterans “masquerading” cut off wages.

Prosecutor Sylla Hoxha, charged with communicating with the media by the Kosovo Special Prosecutor, told Radio Free Europe, that, along with the indictment, the prosecution will demand that suspects, who subsequently do not deserve the salary, are interrupted.

The new investigations follow a process left in half by former prosecutor Elez Blakaj, who resigned on the grounds that pressure is being made over it.

The indictment has not been complete by prosecutor Elez Blakaj. This indictment will be fulfilled, and in that fulfillment of the indictment in the case of surrender, this will be required by the court. So, the prosecution proposes to the court the suspension of those veterans' salaries for people to whom it does not belong”, Hoxha said.

He said, also, that it is still too early to say what will happen to those who have received money from the budget, but now it can prove that their salaries were illegal.

The prosecutor who will continue his work on the indictment will come up with a concrete conclusion... is early to say something”, Hoxha said.

In contrast, members of the Commission for Witness status of the nation, the invalid of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the veteran, KLA member and KLA exile, said all that structure of those who today receive payment depends on those incomes.

The member of this commission, Shumbin Demalij, simultaneously deputy of the Kosovo Assembly from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo's ranks, told Radio Free Europe that it would be very harmful to take action by the Prosecutor or court for the interruption of payments without completing all investigative proceedings.

If there is someone who enjoys this non-merital status, he should stop paying and pay back that money. But since an assessment has not been given and the process has not been judged, it is premature to say, negotiate and make such decisions on the matter. It is very harmful to take a measure to stop payments”, Demalij said.

Meanwhile, Lulzim Rafuna, adviser to the minister of finance in the Government of Kosovo, told Radio Free Europe that the issue of cutting off payments for that category, which may have allegedly had manipulations with gaining veteran status, is a matter of the justice system.

It's a question that doesn't depend on the executive. It is largely dependent on the case of the justice organs, such as the court, which decides by bias or bias, depending on the” context, Rafuna explained.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Management data, more than 44m euros have been earmarked for this category for the first seven months of this year.

According to documents from the ministry that have been sent to Radio Free Europe, the number of beneficiaries has increased every month, resulting in the allocation of financial means.

In January, 36,794 veterans worth about 6.3m euros have benefited from this scheme, while in July the number of beneficiaries has risen to 37.771, for which the budget has earmarked around 6.4m euros.

State prosecutor Alexander Lumezi has said in an interview with Radio Free Europe that the number of illegal beneficiaries from this category could be as many as 19 thousand.