Uke Rugova acquitted of organised crime charges with Italian visas

They were charged that by acting as a criminal group, for the purposes of material gain, they have illegally equipped citizens with multiple visas from the Italian Embassy in Pristina.

The trial against the accused in this case was announced Thursday by the chairman of the court, Fatime Drmaku, reports “Justice Bettim“.

Judge Drcak said that accused Uke Rugova, Izet Beqiri, Astrit Haraqi and Qefser Baholli, conform Article 363, points 1.3 of the Penal Procedure Code, are released from charges at point 1, 2, 4 and 5, after not proved to have committed criminal work “organised crime” by Article 383, par.2 concerning criminal work “smuggling by miracle3> from 170, parni and 2nd Penal Code.

Under the trial, accused Rugova, Beqiri and Baholli are guilty of the criminal act “retaining ownership, control or unauthorized possession of weapons” by Article 374, par.1 of the Penal Code.

For Uke Rugova, the court has conducted the legal review of the criminal act from paragraph 2, in paragraph 1 of the Penal Code, for criminal work “holding ownership, control or unauthorized possession of weapons”, as it found the same responsible for holding two pistols with two clips and pistol <x2skisva<3> and 50 cable bullets 357, as it frees it from criminal responsibility for 382 rounds of calibre 556, after it was administered by evidence, it didn't have anyone in the rounds.

The accused Izet Beqiri, the court found him guilty of possession of a weapon and an empty charger, as well as 16 bullets, while Qefser Baholin was found guilty of possession of a gun, with clipping and 15 bullets.

Therefore, the court, based on high legal provisions and provisions 4, 21, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 69 and 70 of the Republic of Kosovo Criminal Code, as well as Article 364, 365 and 366 of the Criminal Procedure Code, were pronounced fined sentences.

To Uke Rugova, the court pronounced fine sentences in the amount of 6 thousand euros for illegal possession, while against Bekiri and Baholli, the fine penalty for each, aside from 3 thousand and 500 euros, for the same criminal act.

However, for Floran Petnan, a conform article 362 of the Criminal Procedure Code, charges have been denied because of criminal activity “organised crime “related to criminal work “due to migrants”, after the Special Prosecutor has resigned from prosecution.

The court has also issued orders for the permanent seizure of seized items and two pistols and a “Zastawa” that are sequentized to the accused Rugova and 382 rounds. Also, a 21-round pistol seized by the accused Beqiri and 1 pistol and 15 rifles seized by the accused Bahol.

The defendants are returned to seized items, which are not included in the court's decision of the preliminary procedure.

Judge Drimak said the complaint against the indictment, according to the new Code of Criminal Procedure, is 30 days after accepting the written form of judgment.

Also, the defendants will be charged with the time spent in house arrest and house arrest, where, for every day spent in detention, they will be removed from 20 euros of fine sentences.

Otherwise, for accused Floran Petani, special prosecutor Florije Shamlli, at the March 27, 2027 session, during the final address has called for a refusal act, arguing that, for the same, the Court of Rome has issued a legal case for the same criminal acts.

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, charged Uke Rugova that during May 2011 until February 2014, it managed a criminal group by supplying individuals with EU Schengen visas from the Italian Embassy in Pristina. All these visas are supposed to have been taken illegally through distortion or corruption.

The other indictment device also charged Rugova with criminal possession of weapons, where a pistol and two magics had been found at his residence.

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.

In this case, Uke Rugova, Astrit Haraqi, Floran Petan, Qefser Baholit and Izet Beqiri were tried separately, following the isolation of the procedure against them, as according to former judge of the case, Naim Krasniqi-Jasica, with this form of judgment would be more efficient. Thus, the case was divided into two parts, where the five mentioned defendants were tried separately by 15 other indictees.

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.