Prison years that can hold those who manipulated on veteran status

Lawyer Musa Damati says the Republic of Kosovo's Penal Code envisions this sentence.

“With Article 335 of the Republic of Kosovo's Criminal Code is defined as features of criminal acts for fraud. The height of the sentence, which is punishable by fine or imprisonment from 3 to 10 years in prison, is also predicted, says lawyer Musa Damati.

The issue was re-actualised with the resignation of former prosecutor Elez Blakaj.

That there are exaggerated numbers of veterans, they also agree to the Commission for recognition and Verification of former Kosovo Liberation Army members.

I think there's a veteran who doesn't deserve to be on that list, who deserves to have veteran status, but the number has been given to the commanders of the box”, said Office for Category Affairs Director for War Affairs, at the Prime Minister's Office, Gazmend Syla.

Gazmend Syla says they are waiting for a court decision to take steps in this direction.

“We don't have any official documents, an indictment of what the number of veterans should be removed from the salary list. Without an indictment, we can't do prejuice”, Syla further expresses himself.

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD) says that only an independent judiciary can solve this issue.

To get rid of this story, it's to send the indictment to court, the same thing to defend and have a final judgment that would then prove whether we've dealt with an illegal process of war veterans' lists”, says Ehat Miftaraj.

Over 22m euros are estimated to be the damage to Kosovo's budget by false veterans only during the January period of July 2018.

The institutional leaders, including the head prosecutor of state, have pledged that the veterans' case will run to the end, and a new prosecutor has been appointed to deal with the case.