IKD against illegal advances in the Office of State Prosecutor seeks investigation

The IKD has come to the conclusion that prosecutors of the State Prosecutor's Office are the most paid public officials in Kosovo as their advance is done illegally, for which Saturday it has published the “Law of Advancing and Benefit at the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor<1>.

Gzim Shala from this institute said the chief state prosecutor's office has become a pensioner's office, but that these <x0-pensionist” are young.

This office ( The ZKPS) has been transformed into some form of office of KPSionists who are paid from the budget of the Republic of Kosovo and who are young, and who have been established in this office pre-cauting all other colleagues, who are at lower levels... These advancements have been done illegally and favoured by the chief state prosecutor, Mr. Alexander Lumez. From 2017 to 2020, Z. KKPS has never had a problem with the number of subjects, with efficiency 98-99, but still the number of prosecutors has been raised. The challenge is how this number of prosecutors was established”, he said.

According to him, the illegal advance of Kujtim Munish and Agron Qalajt are several cases of this nature, while also calling it illegal to advance prosecutor Bahri Hyseni to the State Chief Prosecutor's Office for what he said there is open conflict of interest.

For this reason researcher Dherem Bajraktari said they have asked Kosovo Republic Special Prosecutor's Chief Prosecutor to initiate criminal investigation against Chief State Prosecutor Alexander Lumezi and Prosecutor Bahri Hyseni for conflict of interest in the case of his advance to the State Prosecutor's Office, once and for all, preventing illegal advances in this office.

“proposes Special Prosecutor's Chief Prosecutor to initiate criminal investigation against Chief State Prosecutor Alexander Lumez and Prosecutor Bahri Hyseni for conflict of interest, in case of his advancement in the State Chief Prosecutor's Office”, he said.

He said that during the prosecutors' statement of property, they have noted that their income from other activities exceeds the specified figure of 25 per cent of the basic salary, which is defined as ceiling.

We have noted during the statement of property that state prosecutors have made, at least in one case, Mr. Faith Kelmendi, his income from allowed activities exceeds the figure of 25 percent, which is some kind of ceiling that is legally defined... Such extensions have continued to accept other prosecutors in the KPS. For example, in the case of prosecutor Laura Pula, the same has declared additions of 7 thousand and 543 euros. So have other prosecutors... We have recommended prosecutors avoid conflicts of interest and not exceed the amount of 25 per cent of other” activities, he said.

According to the IKD, prosecutors' advancement should be made by a competition, not just by a decision.