KEK director's arrest shakes power, opposition

MPs from the opposition have asked government officials to provide more information on his arrest, as, according to them, Nagip Krasniqi has been senior official of the Vetevendosje Movement.

Kosovo's Special Prosecutor has announced that a person with N.K. initials has been arrested on April 19th, in allegations of misuse of official position or authority, influence exercise and conflict of interest.

Justice authorities have announced that N.K. He's been sent to 48 hours holding.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said this [arrestment] case has facts to deal with the justice system, and that no “trial should be held in the Assembly for Nagip Krasniqi”.

On the other hand, it is a fact that there was an opposition joy to the arrest of Nagip Krasniqi. But this is a fact of the opposition, not a fact of the issue. We know there have been many chief chiefs in KEK in the past, which has had tremendous misuse, but they have never been handled by the justice system, by the prosecution” respectively, Kurti said.

The chief of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Abelard Tahiri, asked the economy minister to inform MPs of what financial values the KEK director allegedly abused.

And we've seen that there's been a huge abuse, from subsidizing tariffs, then single-source tenders. Let him tell us what the monetary value of such abuses is - and many other employment issues. Because Nagip Krasniqi has been a senior official of the ruling Vetevendosje Movement, and this official has been arrested”, Tahiri said.

Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli, before MPs, said there is still no official information from justice institutions for the arrest of KEK director.

Nagip Krasniqi's “Scandal directly makes Government” responsible, said Hykmete Bajrami, deputy from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Because Nagip Krasniqi is an expert on Vetevendosje Movement, he is the person who has written the energy programme for this party, as chairman of the Commission for Energy for the Vetevendosje Movement, he has drafted the Energy Strategy. He has been making decisions for 15 months in this country, to be in emergency measures in order to import energy and become negotiated tenders”, she stressed.

Since last summer, the government has imposed emergency energy measures due to the Kosovo energy crisis.

Meanwhile, Alliance for the Future of Kosovo Chairman Ramush Haradinaj called on the government to take steps against Nagip Krasniqi.

When one of you doesn't walk properly, you should show him the place. I don't believe it's loyalty to make wrong decisions against the interest of the country. I urge the prime minister to take the side of law and justice”, he said.

The Kosovo Energy Corporation is one of the main energy companies in the country. Corporation assets are fully owned by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.