Witness knocks: We paid nothing, Uke Rugova gave us Italian visas

The Witness said that this visa had traveled only once and the next time with the accused Haraqi, who said that they had traveled by car to visit some friends in Europe.

This hearing has also been heard by witness Muhamet Cacaj, who answers to special prosecutor Florije Shamlli's questions, has said that from the accused Uke Rugova was equipped with Italian Schengen visas.

My brother Sali Cacaj is familiar with Uke Rugova, I've asked my brother if he could get a family visa, he said I'll see. Then he showed me that I must extract some documents, birth certificate, and the certificate of family status that I have issued, as well as health insurance, where I have filled out my form. I gave these documents to my brother, and I got my visa from”, the witness said.

The passport along with the witness's visa said his brother had brought it to him in a month, with which the visa said he had travelled twice to Germany, while his wife in Switzerland.

My brother has told me he's done all the payments regarding the visa extraction procedure. He has been an LDK activist and has been adviser to the late Ibrahim Rugova”, the witness has said.

Asked by the court's chairman, Judge Fatime Dermaku why she had applied in this way, and not according to regular procedures for visa equipment, the witness has said she does not know.

Regarding the guarantor letter written by Uke Rugova, which is part of the subject paperwork, the witness has stated he had never seen this guarantor letter.

The third witness to this hearing, Luard Lojaj, has said that during 2010 he had worked as a security guard in the Rugova family and that he needed to be equipped with visas to send his mother abroad for healing, but according to him, the possibility was small and that there was no time to wait for the implementation of visa equipment procedures.

For this reason, he said because he was a LDK activist at the time and was familiar with Uke Rugova and the Rugova family, he had asked Uke Rugova to provide with this visa, which he needed urgently.

After that, he said Uke Rugova had asked him for the documentation needed for visa application, such as passports, two photos, birth certificates, while, according to the witness, he was not required any payment for the visa equipment.

The witness's completed documentation has said he had sent it to the Rugova family's security and after a few days said it was equipped with visas, which he said he had taken to security.

No accused said he did not give any money or perform any service for the equipment with this Italian visa.

Witness Fidan Hasani has said that his father, accused Qefser Baholli, has a son of his aunt, while with other defendants he has claimed no family ties.

He has said he is still working for the Rugova family, and that his uncle, who had passed away N.H., was also working for the Rugova family, who, according to the witness, had provided him with the Italian Schengen visa.

According to him, the necessary documentation had been handed over to him, while personally said he did not remember whether he had completed any visa application applications.

For securing this visa, he said he was unaware whether his uncle had paid anything, since according to the witness he had taken over the entire procedure and that at the end the passport along with the visa had brought his uncle to the N.H.

With this visa, he said he had traveled to Germany.

The next session is expected to be held on February 4, 2020, at 09 a.m.

Otherwise, the case was judged by the mission EULEX, but after the mandate ended, the subject had been transferred to the locals.

This subject was then appointed to Judge Naim Krasniqi-Jashnica, who had not scheduled a session in 2018, with the reason why this case was not a priority for the court.

After the matter had been transferred to local judges in January 2018, the first session attempt had been made after a year, in January 2019 respectively, but this session had failed in the absence of four indictees.

At the initial session held on August 30th 2016, Uke Rugova and others had pleaded innocent to the charges they are charged with. Innocent ones were also declared at the January 11, 2017, session.

The Special Prosecutor's Act of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK), founded on May 16, 2016, charges Uke Rugova that during May 2011 until February 2014, she managed a criminal group by supplying individuals with Schengen visas to the Italian Embassy in Pristina. All these visas are supposed to have been taken illegally through distortion or corruption.

The other indictment device also charges Rugova with criminal possession of unauthorized weapons in his residence with a pistol and two mags.

The Act, which was compiled by prosecutor Allen Cansick, stresses that the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo has accepted from the Italian Prosecutor in Rome a copy of their visa-related file including former Italian Ambassador to Kosovo Michael Giffoni.

Along with Uke Rugova in this case are Izet Beqiri, Florjan Petani, Qefser Baholli, Astrit Haraqija, Fitim Beqiri, Azad Beqiriaj, Liridona Beqiri, Cameron Avdyli, Ragip Gashi, Visar Beqiri, Azem Koskovku, Edisonaj, Beg Shaqiri, Zaqiri, Lumro Voca, Valon Selimi, Fadil Ahmeti and Haxhi Islami.

The prosecution claims that this group, as it calls it criminal, was aimed at providing material benefits in order for citizens to be equipped with Schengen visas from the Italian Embassy in Pristina.

This case has already been divided into two parts, as Judge Naim Krasniqi-Jasnica had said, such a thing has been done in order for the trial to be more efficient. Uke Rugova, Astrit Haraqi, as well as Floran Petani, Qefser Baholli and Izet Beqiri are being tried separately by the other 15 indictees.