Allegations that Damka's Gervala misused 1.1m euros, Swiss Caritas reacts

According to the PDK, it is about a memorandum of co-operation between the Swiss Ministry of Damca and Caritas, under which the state budget is illegally spent on the amount of 1m 40 thousand euros.

The “This agreement has been signed and is already under way, but this has only happened after the official explanation that the deputy prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Grovalla Schwarz, who has opened the way to its illegal signing, thus encouraging and allowing the misuse of about 1 million of the 40 thousand euros<1>, have said by the PDK a few days ago.

Carita's in a media communiqué has not specifically spoken about the accusations made by the PDK, but that it has shown the purpose of the existence of this organisation as well as its works.

With this statement we want to clarify that the Caritas Switzerland is an independent, international society with headquarters in Lucern/Switzerland, we are members of the Caritas International Network. Switzerland's Caritas strictly accepts international humanitarian principles such as humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The main goal of the Swiss Caritas is to fight and eliminate poverty. Caritas Switzerland offers emergency relief to disaster and is actively involved in many programs worldwide”, said in response.

With its developmental co-operation programmes, Caritas Switzerland supports 20 countries in the area of income, climate change and migration. Kosovo is one of the focus countries. Currently, Caritas Switzerland works on the basis of the Kosovo Co-operation Strategy 2021 - 2025. In Kosovo, the Swiss Caritas branch has been registered as international NGOs since 1999. During our 22 years of aid to Kosovo, Caritas Switzerland has achieved many results, such as support in Kosovo's reconstruction process and the possibility of people returning to their homes. At the same time, we have supported many Kosovars in Switzerland”, said further in Carita's reaction.

On the other hand, this organisation has said it receives funding in abundance from international donors.

“Carias Switzerland is currently actively engaged in the fields of income, migration and climate change in Kosovo. We receive abundant funding from international donors to achieve these results. We appreciate that Kosovo ʹ at the central and municipal level contributes to these internationally funded projects for a greater impact. Caritas Switzerland operates according to the highest quality standards, including governance, transparency and compatibility, and implements its international co-operation programme with a high level of professionalism and efficiency. We are convinced that Kosovo's programme is well designed and tailored to the needs of the Kosovo population”, this organisation has said in a public response.

By contrast, according to the PDK, the Regional Development Ministry, not only does it have no legal authorisation, but it is explicitly prohibited with the legislation in force that the state budget spending be done in the way it is in this process, and, above all, to sign public fund sharing agreements with a nongovernmental organisation, without having public declaration and not subject to such a thing to the criteria for which the state has proclaimed as interest in that declaration.

But just on this basis, Mrs. Donika Grovalla ão Schwarz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspore, on August 06th 2021, has signed the letter through which Mr. Damka iu has given consent to signing this Memorandum of Co-operation. So this memorandum is signed in full opposition to the law, for two main reasons: First, it has been signed with an NGO that is not subject to international relations. Second, the same contains financial obligations of over 1m euros to the government from the Kosovo taxpayers' budget.”, MP Ariana Musliu-Sashi has said. The investigation into this matter has begun.