The “case Veterians”, Ramush Haradinaj, does not go to the hearing to testify

Former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj has not appeared at the Constitutional Court in Pristina on Monday, where he has been invited to testify in the trial of the case known as “Vjetrans”.

In this case, for misuse of official position or authority, former Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku, former Defence Minister Rrustem Berisha, MP Shkumbin Demalijaj, and nine other people are charged.

They are accused of being part of the Government Commission for recognition and Verification of the Status of the Nation's Witness, Invalid, Vetmanan, Partitary and KLA War Intervention, reports the “Justice Vought”.

Judge Nushe Kuka-Mekaj has said Haradinaj is not present at Monday's session, saying he was initially invited for the initial session to be held on February 21st 2020, but which was cancelled due to the tribunal's health causes.

While, regarding Monday's session, Judge Kuka-Mekaj has said Haradinaj had been notified by official note, but according to her, the court has no evidence that he has accepted it.

The proposal for Haradinaj's hearing as a witness in this trial had been given by lawyer Arian Koci, who at Monday's session, has said he spoke to Haradinaj, who, according to him, had told him he did not receive an invitation to this session.

Koci has added that the former prime minister had told him he is ready to testify another day, whenever he is invited.

After Haradinaj was missing, Monday's judgment has continued with witnesses Hisen Berisha, Fazli Rugova and Ahmet Alishani, as long as the decision against publishing their testimony continues to be in effect.

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.