No high profile in Kosovo has been convicted of corruption in the past five years

The influence of politics in justice is seen as one of the main factors that are pushing or dragging on treatment in courts of alleged corruption and organised crime cases, in which protagonists are also well-known political figures.
Procrastination of subjects and political influence in justice are also mentioned in the European Commission's 2019 Progress Report, launched these days.

In addition to the low sentences, corruption and organised crime, as well as the extremely low seizure of illegal property. The report also criticises the inability of the judiciary to address targeted cases with priority.

The findings of the report also reconcile members of Kosovo civil society who say that procrastination for years of high profile content brings about very often the situation of prescribing subjects. Genc Nimoni from the COHU organisation tells Radio Free Europe that there is no will to continue and prosecute these subjects.

We're seeing every day that the high profile cases that are even under consideration are failing. We've been around for over five years that we don't have a single high profile punishment for cases of corruption or organised crime. This proves once again the lack of efficiency and results of justice organs, in particular in the pursuit of organised crime and corruption”, Nimoni says.

One of the high profile cases in Kosovo, considered to be stalled by the justice system, is the case known “Proto”, where the main protagonist is former head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo Parliamentary Group, Adem Grabovci, and 11 other people, including current minister Besim Beqaj and MP Zen Pajaziti.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Costnet has also reacted to this case. Through his official Twitter account, Costnett has written that the more important the case is seeing legal procedures taking longer.

When we're going to see progress in the case ofpronto”, the ambassador wrote.

The United States Embassy in Kosovo has also announced that it is taking steps not to give business or tourism visas to individuals from Kosovo who are involved in major crime and corruption cases. It also mentions several cases of corruption and crime, for which the American Embassy expresses concern about how no one so far is being held accountable.

“We will continue to publicly express our concern that no one is being held responsible, including Kosovo officials, corruption and organised crime that are clearly present in Pronto cases, Italian visas, leaving the Dubrava prison, Earth, and Appex, as well as in other similar cases”, is said further in the American Embassy's communique in Pristina.

Gezim Shala from the Kosovo Institute for Justice tells Free Europe Radio that acters within the justice system have no courage to deal with cases of corruption and organised crime involving policy people.

According to him, it shows the lack of professionalism to prosecute these subjects depending on the deadlines, which are defined with the Code of Criminal Procedure.

This is the most negative message possible, since the public sees how a senior official has failed to investigate and be tried within a reasonable term and we have cases when it lasts years. The American Embassy's response was due to the Pronto case, which, although wiretapping is very distant time, as well as its public proximity has long been released, and we still do not have a defined response from justice institutions”, says Shala.

In the last three years in Kosovo, no high profile official has been convicted of corruption with bias of formal form and effective prison.

In local prosecutors and courts, hundreds of cases related to corruption still remain. While the lack of efficiency in fighting organised crime and corruption has been consistently praised as an obstacle to attracting foreign direct investment to Kosovo.