Anti-Manipulation KLA: Former EULEX judge speaks to MPs on January 18th

MPs from the Kosovo Assembly will listen, on January 18th of next year, the former president of EULEX judges, Malcom Simmons, who has indicated willing to testify in the Kosovo Assembly for, as he has said, violations committed during EULEX's judgments in Kosovo. So it is decided at today's meeting of the Commission for Legislation, as Simmons has given them several dates in which he is eligible to attend. The hearing will begin on January 18th, could last away and other Kosovo Assembly deputies, who are not part of this commission, will be able to participate. Former EULEX judge had sent letters to deputies of this commission on demand to call for reporting, as he has said, information he has about interventions in investigations, manipulations of judges and witness threats at the time he was part of this mission.

Through his representative, he has told MPs I can speak from December 15th to December 17th of this year, or from the 6th to January 21st of next year. He was the deputy of the Social Democrat Initiative, Andrew Shala, who requested that the hearing be held since the first date Simmons proposed, on December 15th of this year.

Because of the public interest on this issue, I think that as a commission today we will decide as soon as possible, on the first date proposed by Mr. Simmons to testify before the commission, which is December 15th. Any postponement of this date will follow what Mr. Simmons has said, that other institutions, not wanting to mention the name, are trying to sabotage and cannot afford an extremely important witness for Kosovo, for its citizens”, Shala said.

But, the Vetevendosje Movement demanded that this be done from January 13th from now, because of commitments they have as a parliamentary group, and preparations they should make for this session.

We've supported it, the members are saying it's sabotage, they've got sabotou no information from the judge who has been sabotaged, I don't understand, Mr. Shala takes into account, we've made the decision to keep this hearing, it doesn't change, it can't then sabotage the commission. There are commitments, there are preparations, and because of the holidays, there are many jobs that we as a parliamentary group need to do some preparation”, Basha said. MPs decided that the session will begin on January 18th, 2021, so that all deputies of the Commission for Legissation will be present at the session.

If it starts on 18 it can continue until 20th. Also considering Andrew's proposal that each deputy of the Kosovo Assembly has the right to attend the commission's meeting on the basis of the Parliament's and Administration Job Rules should take care of and see the interests of MPs and depending on the interest to determine the country, or here or the plenary session because of the conditions we have due to the pandemic. The deal is that this hearing starts with 18”, he said.

According to Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Abelard Tahiri, there must be consensus among the commission's deputies, as he said, the process could last.

It is important to have a consensus within this team for the work of the date, for the work of further developments, because as I see it has been a process that has to continue with a few more steps after that, and it will not simply be a meeting whether online or physically more, but it will be the beginning of a long process and our agreement, our consensus I think is very necessary. We all have the same goal, we can actually draw it from the person in question”, he said.

And MP Donika Kadaj-Bujupi demanded that the first letter Simmons has sent to this commission be sent to all deputies of the Kosovo Assembly.

I propose that the commission to make a decision to prepare an escort letter and that along with it Malcolm Simmons' first letter to all Kosovo Assembly deputies as soon as we can, she said. Former EULEX judge Malkom Simons in his letter sent the commission, told MPs who are willing to declare himself before the Kosovo Assembly by relying on evidence on all issues he has mentioned in the letter.