More than 20 Kosovo deputies indicted in courts

There are more than 20 Kosovo Parliament deputies who have open materials in the prosecution and courts for various criminal acts.

The executive director of the Kosovo Institute for Justice (IKD), Ehat Miftray, says the largest number of MPs being investigated have committed various criminal acts, including those of corruption.

The “on the basis of the database that the Kosovo Institute for Justice holds, currently there are 21 current deputies who exercise MP post and who have problems with the law. Of them, there are various criminal acts involving corrupt criminal acts, criminal acts involving illegal possession, general endangerment, but also criminal acts that have been linked to political criminal acts committed by opposition parties in the past legislature, where it is known as the criminal prosecution of tear gas”, Miftaraj said.

Miftaraj said calls from civil society have never been taken to base so far in the direction of deriminating the political scene by those people who have problems with the law. He says it is time for the political scene in Kosovo to be cleared of politicians who have problems with the law.

Kosovo is among the rare countries in the region and Europe, where 20 per cent of MPs exercising office have problems with the law. In this regard, the very fact that we have a large number of deputies who allegedly violated the law strongly violates the integrity of that institution and the belief of citizens that the same truly represent the interests of the people means the interests of the sovereign, for which they have been solved”, Miftaraj says.

Miftaraj says it is pointless and irritating how on the same day, an MP or minister is accused by the prosecution and on the same day exercising their positions.

“Of course this is a bad message even for international friends, who somehow require that we have accountability and have institutions of uncontested integrity”, Miftaraj said.

Senior officials from the Kosovo Special Prosecution have confirmed to Radio Free Europe that some investigations are under way for the deputies of the current Kosovo Assembly legislature, concerning their violations.

Prosecutor Sylla Hoxha, in charge of communications with the media by the Kosovo Special Prosecutor, has not mentioned the number of deputies being investigated, but for Radio Free Europe said that in some cases, investigations are continuing.

In addition to other personalities, investigations and prosecutions are conducted near the prosecution, even against a significant number of Kosovo Parliament deputies. In addition to weapons maintenance, we have cases of misuse and fraud, and other types of criminal acts”, Hoxha said.

In the last two to three years in Kosovo, there have been cases when senior Kosovo institutions have faced judicial processes.

The largest number of cases has ended with parole sentences or even with a free trial.

Kosovo Judiciary Council chief Bahri Hyseni told ReL that with the new changes being made in the Penal Procedure Code and the Criminal Code, such situations will be presented, when people who have acts, regardless of their position in the appointed institution, are suspended.

“Right now we need to be aware that establishing an indictment does not immediately mean that it speaks of someone's guilt, considering that there are constitutional principles and that there is also a principle of the Penal Procedure Code that presumption of innocence is respected”, Hyseni said.

Hyseni said that in Kosovo's justice system there are such regulations, which are also implemented, when, at the moment they launch investigations for an official, the prosecution announces the relevant institution, and, as he says, it is left to the leaders of that institution to take appropriate actions for suspension or not.

Kosovo has been constantly criticised for failing to fight organised crime and corruption, prosecution and the conviction of senior officials involved in criminal acts respectively.