Police officials suspected of fraud continue to receive war invalid pension

This has been announced today by the chief chief of the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, the Hodaj Objection at the Commission for Human Rights, Gender Equality, for Undiscovered Persons and Petitions.

According to him, the IPK has since 2017 begun its preliminary investigation into the fraud of several police officials. He said that the latter, in addition to enjoying the status of police officials, have also enjoyed that of the disabled.

By seeing allegations that could be fraud on these officials, because under conditions and criteria to be part of the Kosovo Police, they have to be able or healthy to 100 percent, and all these officials when they've been admitted to work have appeared as persons who have no health problems, and have testified to health commissions that are fully capable. At the same time, allegations have been that some of these officials on the Commissions of the Ministry of Labour and Social Management have submitted documents that have proved to have health problems, including mental problems. After that, we have talked to the Special Prosecutor, the investigative officials of the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, originally received a authorization to undertake initial investigations, an informational report to the Kosovo Special Prosecutor, who has demanded that additional authorisations be undertaken”, Hodaj has announced.

Among other things, it has announced that a criminal outcry has recently been established for 141 police officials, under suspicion of criminal fraud. Despite being found in 2018, the same health is enjoyed in full, the same continues to be retired from the disabled.

“Based on these investigative actions has resulted in 148 police officials enjoying the war invalid pension. Where they continue to be part of the Kosovo Police and 94 of them are people who have had mental health problems based on their files. Based on this, reports have been requested by the Forenzie Psychiatry Institute, based on this documentation have also come to the conclusion that these 94 officials will submit documentation that has mental health problems. Based on this in 2018, The IPK has requested and recommended due to the investigation and due to this examination required for the suspension of these police officials. This recommendation of ours has not been realised, and at the same time the KK has asked for a fresh examination of all police officials, and has been submitted to a health institution that police have contracted. After this examination that all have proved to be in full physical and mental health”, Hodaj said.

The meeting of this commission is held in terms of Veton Elshan's request and 175 other police officials who are disabled during the recent war in Kosovo. The latter has complained that the data was published.

For this, commission member Teuta Haxhiu has raised this concern over publishing the data of these persons in the media. According to her, such an act represents human rights violations.

These officials have acquired disability status before law goes into effect and before being granted the right to compensation. You said there was a recent examination of all 94 with mental problems. Are you sure that everyone, because I have other information, that from these officials, namely, Mr. Elshan's, who has once again become a review of the commission and resulted in the same percentage of disability? Are you sure everyone's out healthy? What's been bothering us most is data publication. Here in Kosovo, there has been a case that should not happen in institutions”, Haxhiu said.

For this, Hodaj said 94 of these officials were subjected to psychiatric examinations, and they did not meet those criteria. Among other things, he voiced confidence that they have no information and doubts that these data have emerged from the Kosovo Police Inspectorate.

Kosovo Democratic Party deputy Besa Ismaili has reacted to this, who said it is disturbing that this institution has no doubt that this information has come out of the IPK itself.

“You gentlemen say IPK has no less doubt about the flow of this information. Is that what you're saying, because tomorrow there may be another investigation that proves other things, but as the god of this house where you are responsible, your word matters very much in this case. You've stated here today that there is no doubt, and you personally have no doubt that this information is flowing. While in advance prove that you didn't have any minor investigation into this”, she said.

Even the other opposition MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Saranda Bogujevci, stressed that, despite the past three years since the investigation of the case has begun, no charges have been filed.

For me, this process is very disturbing because according to the data we've received so far, the first one, changes the decision for what they're investigated, differs from the first request at the second. If there was enough data based on the first decision, why did it change, and what are these people investigated for? It's disturbing to me”, she said.

While MP Valdete Idrizi said it is a pity that the data on these police officers were published, as it says it has become public lynching of police officials.