Did Kosovo win the fight against corruption?

The fight against corruption even during 2018, even in the past years, has been highlighted by Kosovo institutions as one of the main commitments. According to reports by nongovernmental organizations, several results have been noted during 2018, but the battle in this field remains unsurpassed, according to them.

The first results of fighting corruption during 2018 are believed to be linked to the criteria the European Union had set for Kosovo institutions to prove concrete results of fighting this phenomenon to progress in the visa liberalisation process. As a result, the EU had recognised progress in fighting corruption, but still did not liberalise visas for Kosovo citizens.

Anti-Corruption Agency Director Shaip Havolll told Radio Free Europe, which the agency also runs in 2018 has handled a large number of cases suspected of corruption and conflict of interest.

“At the level of country, we are not satisfied with the fight against corruption even though there have been some positive developments, because all reports -- international and local -- show that Kosovo has noted a small progress in the fight against corruption. There are a large number of charges that are judicial processes, yet if an assessment is made, we are not satisfied enough with the work that has been done against some positive developments that are at all levels as far as this” phenomenon is concerned, Havol said.

Based on records of courts and prosecutors, more than 500 suspected cases of corruption were considered during 2018.

The organisation's executive director, “, speaks”, Medjide Demolli, says that even in 2018, however, it has testified that the fight against corruption and organised crime was not won.

She says civil society is constantly pointing out that corruption is blocking Kosovo's progress, bringing unfair and uneven development into society.
As she says, this phenomenon is feeding organised crime and criminals, thus damaging the country's image in the international arena.

“Corruption in Kosovo is no longer a matter of perception, but it has become political thinking throughout public institutions for years now. We still have thousands of corruption substances that are handled by prosecution and courts, as processes continue to drag on for years. Over 90 percent of people charged with corruption are public officials, which also speaks of the nature of corruption and how corrupt the entire state administration is”, Demolli said.

Demolli cited the fact that in the current government I now have six ministers who are on charges of corruption.

The government under no circumstances should allow ministers or deputies who spend some time in courtrooms, facing corruption charges, and the rest of the time making decisions under their competencies and responsibilities as ministers or deputies. From the above, it turns out that mobilizing society against corruption is no longer a matter of expectations, but of age. Not at the level of the declaration, but with concrete actions leading to law enforcement and denouncing any such attempt”, Demolli said.

While Betim Musliu from the Kosovo Institute for Justice said high-level corruption in Kosovo continues to remain the challenge and phenomenon that is destroying democracy and hindering economic development in the country.

“As long as we still don't have a high profile, which is sentenced to effective prison terms even one day for corruption, we consider that, overall, efforts to fight high-level corruption are failed. No one can enjoy the high-profile proceedings of prosecutions until they are tested in courts, so we have no final sentences of effective imprisonment. The fact that these charges are constantly failing and proves that these charges are deliberately being raised with evidence and flawed evidence or are being set up to be persecuted or permanently Amnisted by these high officials”, Musliu said.

Musliu, told Radio Free Europe that the profile of corruption cases followed in Kosovo is low and rarely high profile.

“Based on systematic monitoring of the Kosovo Institute for Justice, it turns out that still no high profile official is sentenced to effective prison for criminal corruption. Since there is no pursuit of higher profit, and political impacts on the appointment of high positions are consistently present, then this war cannot be fought without people with integrity”, Musliu said.

Besides officials in Brussels, international representatives in Kosovo have also called on Kosovo institutions -- in particular, the justice system in the country -- to empower the fight against corruption.

It was the embassies of Western countries in Pristina that consistently organised debates throughout the year, the table of discussion on the importance it has for a country like Kosovo aimed at becoming part of the integrated European family, fighting crime and corruption.