Case “Venterians” concludes questioning of Agim Ceku of Nuredin Lushtak

Both, along with 10 other indictees, are being charged by the Special Prosecutor for misuse of official office or authority. They are being accused of being part of the Government Commission for the recognition and Verification of the Status of the Nation Witness, Invalid, veterani, Partitarian and the KLA War Intervention, reports the “Act on Justice”.

However, what Lushtaku and Ceku have stated at Tuesday's session, the public will learn about after all the accused in this case will end granting them protection.

That is after the Constitutional Court in Pristina has banned media publication of what the accused have said during their defence.

Such a decision, the head of the court, Nushe Kuka-Mechaj, argued that the other indictees leave the courtroom until an accused is providing protection so they are unaware of the indictees' answers during his interrogation.

The media publication of the defense of an accused, according to the judge, would be unable to do so and would also affect the judicial process.

As all indictees end offering their defence, the judge said they would be able to publish the statements of the accused in the media.

Otherwise, the trial has recently begun on Wednesday in the “Venterians”, as more than three months have passed since the last session held in this case.

Wednesday's session has started with approximately an hour's delay, as the court had problems connecting to accused Fadil Shudray. He is attending the session virtually, due to health causes.

After the indictment was not read, the accused was again acquitted.

Also, prosecutor Valdet Gashi and the accused with their defenders stood behind the opening word they have given during that trial.

Witness testimony and other administered evidence were also found read out.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday, where further indictees are expected to be questioned.

Otherwise, the Constitutional Court in Pristina, on June 19, 2019, had confirmed the indictment, while the Court of Appeals had confirmed that ruling in August of this year.

With the SPRK indictment, it was also required that the Constitutional Court in Pristina be commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and Social Management (MPMS) to suspend payment of pensions for 19,500 veterans until the outcome of the judicial process.

But, on April 1, 2019, the court had rejected this request, arguing that the proposal for provisional measures is not against the accused, but against the MPMS as the third party.

According to the indictment prepared by former special prosecutor Elez Blakaj, the people involved are charged that between 2011 and 2017, acting as members of the Government Commission for recognition and Verification of the Status of the Nation's Witness, Invaledit, Veteran, Partitor and Intervent of the Kosovo Liberation Army War, have used the duty and official authority, passing over competencies and failing to fulfill the official duties, in order to benefit other persons illegally, in order to continue, at the damage to the budget of the Republic of Kosovo.

This indictment includes 12 persons who are charged with criminal work “misusing official position or authority”.

As had been reported by “Justice Trust”, the list of accused persons led Agim Ceku, followed by Nuredin Lushtiu, Sadik Halitijaha, Shumbin Demalijaj, Qele Gashi, Shukri Buja, Ahmet Daku, Rrustem Berisha, Faik Fazliu, Smajl Elezaj, Fadil Shudaj and Xavit Jashar.

The PSRK, too, had proposed to this court that it should release the measure to prevent the payment of illegally acquired pensions as KLA veteran fighters, until the end of the criminal procedure.

In addition, according to the SPRK, evidence provided so far has proved that illegal payments to KLA war veterans has been damaged in many of the Republic of Kosovo's 68,153,533.14 euros.

While, with the indictment handed down to the court on December 7th 2018, it is claimed that the Republic of Kosovo budget has been damaged in many of the 88.769,217.04 euros.