Kurti after suspending Klan Kosovo's license speaks of democracy, reminds ambassadors who reacted against it

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has reacted after the Trade and Industry Ministry's decision to revote the business license of the medium Klan Kosova.

Kurti said following registration rules is legal and not technical duty.

Thus, Kurti said that implementing such rules against an violator, as he describes Klan Kosovo, does not endanger media pluralism.

Kosovo has 468 registered businesses, whose primary activity is media and 114 licensed audio or audiovisual companies. Following the registration rules is a legal duty, not a “technology”. And implementing such rules against a single wrongdoer does not threaten media plurality”, he wrote in a post at “Titter”.

He reacted to the ambassadors, saying he supports organ actions that could lead to the closure of the Kosovo Clan.

“in a democracy, the bodies authorised to decide on such cases will not sit in the prime minister's office. However, these organs have the full support of our Office in carrying out their duties, in the face of the powerful interests of wealthy businessmen lined up against them”, he has said.

Kurti further said an attack on the media is an attack on democracy.

“Media licenses are vital: an attack on them is an attack on democracy. But democracy is also attacked when powerful businessmen violate the law for financial gain. And law enforcement against violations of such people in no way constitutes an attack on media freedom”, Kurti wrote further.

The Ministry of Industry, Intervention and Trade has informed that the Commission for the Review of the Ankes for the Registering of Business has made a decision yesterday to reject the complaint of the Trade Society “Klan Kosova sh.k.”.

MINT has suggested that the commission's decision concludes this case within the ministry, while the complaining side enjoys the right to file indictments at the competent court.

The Commission's decision, as made known in the communiqué, has found that the ARBK, on the first scale, has decided in line with the law when it suspended the Kosovo Clan business certificate.

“The ARBK adoption for suspension of the certificate has been that, in the documentation of the business owner company in question, “KGO Media Invest DOOEL”, municipalities in the Republic of Kosovo are represented as cities of Serbia, which constitutes violations of our Constitution. The very fact that representatives of the Kosovo Clan sh.g., after so many years, have started steps for correction, proves that business in question had committed a consistent violation by the ARBK and that the decision to suspend the business certificate was rightly taken. However, the Ankes Commission has also noted that the delayed efforts of the party to correct its violations over the years have not yet reached the end. The Commission's decision finds that, in official documents for “the true owners of subject” KGO Media Invest DOOEL, the citizenship of the owner of this subject is identified as “Kosovo”, while its state still as “Serbia”, again presenting Kosovo as part of Serbia. This commission consisting once again raises the question, which is the real reason why Klan Kosova sh.p.k. Are you insisting on presenting Kosovo as part of Serbia?

The ministry has added that according to the findings of irregularities over the years and serious suspicions, MINT has delivered criminal charges against Klan Kosova sh.k. and its owners. “With this issue are already being taken over by the Republic of Kosovo law bodies.”, the ministry has added.