Corruption trial against former Prime Minister Rikalo and others, prosecution proposes sentence of indictees, defended their release

In this case for corruption, former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MBPZHR), Nenad Rikalo, Secretary General of the Ministry, Kaplan Halimi and six other officials, Shefryki Zeqiri, Ekrem Djoka, Shrezen Morina, Leon Thaci, Lindar Krasniqi and Albana Zeqiri are charged.

Initially, prosecutor Salihu explained that she has prepared the final word in writing and during her edition the same said that after managing material and personal evidence during the court reviews, the carrying out of criminal acts by the accused has undoubtedly been confirmed.

In addition, prosecutor Salhiu stressed that Albanian witness Dema has clarified that preamble procedures have not been respected in the case of establishing a special programme by former Prime Minister Ricalo, reports the “Justice Trust”.

Prosecutor Salihu also said that during the extradition of evidence as prosecutor in the case, she has been unable to find any extenuating circumstances regarding this criminal case for the accused in question.

There is no extenuating circumstance for defendants”, prosecutor Salihu said.

While the defender of the accused Nenad Ricalo lawyer Miodrag Brklajq in the final address said she thought prosecutor Salihu would drop the charges of his client, adding there has been no interaction with other indictees for committing criminal acts.

Also, lawyer Brklajq said the prosecutor has not provided sufficient evidence for his client's guilt, and that for this reason proposed that the same one be acquitted.

On the other hand, the defender of accused Kaplan Halimin, lawyer Artan Qerkeyni, in the final address, said the whole issue has become an administrative investigation, adding that we have had interference in executive processes from the judicial system.

Also, lawyer Qerkeyn said that his client could be held responsible for why someone else did not do the job properly and in the absence of evidence at the end proposed to the court to release his client from the prosecution.

The final word was written by the defender of the accused, Shefki Zeqiri, lawyer Mentor Neziri, and briefly said that his own client has always opposed specific measures, so the same proposed to the judge to Zeqiri to issue a loose judgment.

The defender of accused Ekrem Gjona, lawyer Florent Latifaj, in the final address said that only because he was part of the working group did not hold his client accountable so he proposed to the court that Djoko release him from the prosecution.

On the other hand, the defender of the accused Marzezen Morina, lawyer Nuhi paziazi, first delivered the final word in writing, adding that the prosecution has not assessed any excusing evidence by eventually proposing to the court to issue a free trial.

Even the defender of accused Leon Thaci, lawyer Fehmie Gashi-Bytyqi, handed over the final word in writing, adding that her client has gained nothing in connection with claims that she committed the criminal act, so she proposed to the court to issue a free trial against her client.

The hearing also followed with the final word of defendant Linder Krasniqi's defender, lawyer Razon Hoxha, who also handed him in writing, adding that material and personal evidence did not prove that his client was involved in the conduct of criminal work.

The same proposed to the court that the accused Krasniqi be acquitted of prosecution in the absence of evidence.

Finally, the final word for the defender of the accused Albana Zeqiri, lawyer Against Bytyqi, gave the final word in writing, clarifying that for his client it has not been proven to have committed criminal acts, so the court proposed that it issue a free trial.

Paraly, the chairman of the court, Judge Mentor Bajraktari, said special prosecutor Salihu, with the parade of April 28th of this year, has clarified the change of point 1 of the indictment.

In the end, Judge Bajraktari pronounces this criminal case final, setting June 1st for the declaration of the indictment.

According to Judge Bajraktari on June 1st, it is scheduled to take into account the number of indictees and materials that have been owned during court reviews.

According to the indictment compiled by the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK) on December 26, 2019, defendants Nenad Ricalo, Kapllan Halimi, Shefki Zeqiri and Ekrem Gjona, in co-operation, during the year 2018, in order to try to illegally benefit companies such as subsumin “Novus” S.P.K, for winning the “grant construction of modern market for agricultural products” in Pristina, consortium “Andmeters” S. P.K for profit of grants “Building of the fertilizer factory” (not being at all on the list of projects that are covered with financing through grants), concorium “DOO Zubin Potok” for gaining grant “Investment building project in storage and storage facility”, as well as consortium NTP “Arena Engineering” in Pec, for gaining grants “production and processing of meat” in Pec, with the intent to act contrary to Law 04/ L-090 for changing and completing the 03/03 Law L-098 for Agriculture and Rural Development Article 5.1, Article 8, Article 13 paragraph 1.2, Article 4, Article 14.2 The 03/L098 Law on Agriculture and Rural Development, Article 8 and 9, regulations ( QRK) No. 37/2013, Article 7.1, paragraph 1.1, Guide and Doracak for drafting the concept of documents from the Prime Minister's Office.

This is said to have been exceeded by the defendant Nenad Rikalo, in the quality of the minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, to have surpassed his competencies, drafted a special <x0-program, without a separate budget for this project, has set out on criteria, has set out regions for funding, the grant sum, while bypassing the regular procedures of the programme drafting, which was the competence of the Rual Development Policy in the MBHR establishing among the most regular measures, with the March 26th, with a decision issued with a decision. ref. KM 91/18 for drafting new policies for further development of rural infrastructure and establishing competition in less developed rural areas, with the programme also being handed over on its own, while the commission had formed only formally.

On the other hand, defendant Kaplan Halimi, in the quality of the secretary-general in this ministry, has reportedly exceeded his competencies, thus illegally making the decision by ref.n. The ZSP 266/18 to illegally enable the companies mentioned, appoints the working group of 11 members to prepare investments in rural infrastructure, knowing that this group is not competent and has no knowledge of the drafting of this programme, until it was aware that this group was only formal, given that the draft was delivered by Minister Rikalo himself.

According to the indictment, defendant Shefki Zeqiri, in the quality of the official person in the ministry, during 2018, acting illegally, has drafted and approved the 09-2018 Administrative Guide for implementing the special program “Rourons less developed”, even though he had known that this program had been drafted in opposition to the 04/ L-090 for changing and completing the 03/03 Law L-098 for Agriculture and Rural Development and Adjust (QKR) No. 37/2013, bypassing regular procedures to draft the particular programme that is the competence of the MBPHR Department of Rural Development Policy.

While, according to the prosecution, defendant Ekrem Gjona, in the quality of the official person, the duty of the chief chief of the AZHB, has illegally made the decision ref.nr. ZHB-07/4/54/2018 for the formation of the task force, which the group will do administrative control, assessment, approval and contracting projects of rural infrastructure mass, compounded by Lindar Krasniqi, Shkelzen Morina, Albana Zeqiri and Leon Thaci, bypassing the fact that this team should be formed by the director, monitored by the director, and this group reported to the Director for Project and Development Adoption.

Thus it is said that the defendant Gjoka deliberately acted in such a way as to benefit the aforementioned companies because it was part of the group when the minister had handed over the willing draft, thus acting in the Kosovo Republic's budget in co-operation, caused damage to the value of 4,000,000 euros.

According to the indictment, accused Shkelzen Morina, Leon Thaci, Linder Krasniqi and Albana Zeqi, on August 14th 2018, co-operated in the quality of officials near the MBPZHR, acting illegally, in order to provide illegal benefit to Albana Zeqi, have declared the conzmin “Novus” shp.k. for winning the Bentin “construction of the modern agricultural market <20x3>, in Pristina, they have declared the consortium <x> and <5 x> > DOO Zubin Potok”, for winning the sub-x10> Investment Building Project in the storage and storage facility”, has declared the NTP consortium “Arena Enineering” winner for winning the <x14 grant. > The production and processing of meat”, in Pec, who have failed to meet the legal conditions set out with the 09-2018 Administrative Guide to implement the particular program “rural areas less developed”.