Missing Nuredin Lushtaku, judgment postponed in case “Veterians”

In this case, in addition to Lushtak, former Prime Minister Agim Ceku, former Defence Minister Rrustem Berisha, Shkumbi Demalijaj, Sadik Halitajha, Cele Gashi, Shukri Bija, Ahmet Daku, Faik Fazliu, Smajl Elezaj, Fadil Shudreaj and Jawitari.

Regarding this absence of the accused Lushtaku, the court was announced today through its defender, lawyer Tahir Rrecaj, who said the same could not be present at today's session for health reasons, adding that through email the court has also sent medical confirmation to his defender, reports “Bet on Justice”.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the court, Judge Gazmend Bahtiri, said that to prove a different actual situation, an expertise must be engaged, but the same is very expensive.

Also, Judge Bahtiri said this crawl is deliberate.

We have to set a different date to wait for the original report. Now this is, not only for the court but for you as a deliberate pair of procrastinators”, Judge Bahtiri added.

Thus, in the absence of legal conditions, the scheduled session for today was postponed for another date.

The Constitutional Court in Pristina, on 16 April 2021, the accused had been acquitted of the prosecution. But the Court of Appeals on April 26, 2022 has turned the case into retrial.

According to the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK), the accused by misusing their official duty, as part of the KLA War Partier Commission for Recognition and Verification of the Status of the Nation's Witness, Invalid, Vetran, Partitor and Intervention, have caused damage to Kosovo's budget worth 88,769.217 euros.04 euros.

On these charges, the Constitutional Court in Pristina had taken on a release act even on January 19, 2021.

The act in this case was compiled three months later, where P SRK had been able to file complaints against this act within 15 days.

Otherwise, the Constitutional Court in Pristina, on June 19, 2019, had confirmed the indictment for the case, while the Court of Appeals had confirmed the verdict in August 2019.

With the SPRK indictment, it was also required that the Constitutional Court in Pristina order the Ministry of Labour and Social Management (MPMS) to suspend payment of pensions for 19 thousand and 500 veterans, until the completion of the judicial process.

But, on April 1, 2019, the court had rejected this request, arguing that the proposal for provisional measures is not against the accused, but against the MPMS as the third party.

And after the hearings held, the Constitutional Court in Pristina, on January 19, 2021, has declared a free trial against the accused in this case.

According to the indictment prepared by former special prosecutor Elez Blakaj, the involved persons reportedly from 2011 to 2017, acting as members of the Government Commission for recognition and Verification of the Status of the Nation's Witness, Invaledit, Veteranit, Partitor and Intervention of the Kosovo Liberation Army's War, have used the duty and official authority, passing over competencies and failing to fulfill official duties in order to benefit other persons illegally, in order to continue, at the damage to the budget of the Republic of Kosovo.

In this indictment, 12 persons are involved who are tasked with criminal work “The use of official position or authority”.

As had been reported by “Justice Trust”, the list of accused persons leads Agim Ceku, followed by Nuredin Lushtacu, Sadik Halitijaha, Shumbin Demaliaj, Qele Gashi, Shukri Buja, Ahmet Daku, Rrustem Berisha, Faik Fazliu, Smajl Elezaj, Fadil Shudaj and Jawitari.

The PSRK, too, had proposed to the court to issue the move to prevent the payment of legally acquired pensions as KLA war crimes veterans until the end of the criminal procedure.

In addition, according to the SPRK, evidence provided that illegal fees for KLA war veterans had been damaged in many of the Republic of Kosovo's 68,153,533.14 euros.

While, with the indictment handed down to court on December 7th 2018, it is claimed that the Republic of Kosovo budget was damaged in many of the 88.769,217.04 euros.