What did the chief prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor say yesterday at the press conference?

Special Prosecutor's Chief Prosecutor, Blerim Isufaj, has appeared yesterday at a news conference. He said they were “paled” in the work done this year. Speaking of the prosecution's work, he spoke of the commitment of this prosecution body.

Co-operation with international partners, Isufaj said “has been a fundamental pillar” in the work of the Special Prosecutor this year.

Isufaj recalled that during this year, high profile cases were prosecuted, while warned that other cases are “in the process”.

Over the course of this year, we have pressed charges in several high profile cases, testifying that no one is above the law, and at the same time we have other cases of such rank which are being dealt with professionally and seriously”, the chief Special Prosecutor said.

He said the Special Prosecutor's aim is to promote equality before the law and ensure that each Kosovo citizen feels equal before law”.

Our “Work this year has been in line with priorities expressed in international reports and recommendations”, Isufaj said.

For the next year, Isufaj cited clearly “goals and objectives for prosecuting cases of organised crime, corruption, war crimes and terrorism “including pro-active investigations and more efficient inter-institutional co-operation”.

The chief Special Prosecutor promised war “unconversation” against “all who conflict with the law, indiscriminately, regardless of their position, their role in power or outside of it”.

Isufaj has been asked about the refusal of Prime Minister Kurti to go to the Special Prosecutor to give a witness.

He has said the law is the same for all Kosovo citizens.

Isufaj added that the invitation to testify is legal procedure, and any one invited has the legal responsibility to co-operate with justice institutions.

The chief prosecutor said that no one's statements are of interest to “at all”.

“The law is the same for all Kosovo citizens, including for top state officials. The invitation to give evidence is regular procedure, and any person who is invited has the legal responsibility to cooperate with the justice institution, so I call on all public institutions, including Government, to show devotion to rule of law and avoid rhetoric aimed at politicising justice. I'm not here to comment anybody's statements that I don't care at all, I'm talking about what I feel and that I think should be done”, he said.

He said the Prosecutorial System and the judicial system are not to do scenarios.

We have our work defined by law and Constitution, and we make no distinctions either in position or by the name”, he said.

Isufaj said there is no information anyone was interviewed at the prime minister's office.

I don't have information if anyone's ever been interviewed in the Prime Minister's Office, maybe there might be but I don't know. At least as long as I've been the chief prosecutor for five years, we've had”, he said.

Header The PRSKA has responded to Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who said prosecutors are changed from “snail” to <x2-lepsy when it comes to following people of current power.

Isufaj said at a media conference that “denigative statements and public insults against prosecutors” undermine the integrity of the justice system and “also violate public confidence in rule of law”.

“Declarations and public insults against prosecutors and prosecutorial institutions not only undermine the integrity of the justice system but also violate public confidence in rule of law”, he said.

Isufaj indicated that currently, the Special Prosecutor has charges filed for five ministers of past governments, while still none for the current government ministers. This, he said, is the greatest “argument”, which shows how this Prosecutor works.

Allow me to give you just one fact: we currently have an indictment of five former ministers, of other government cabinets, I mean; we have no charges filed for any current minister. We've thrown 17 criminal charges to the current ministers in office. I don't know what's the biggest argument that shows that we don't work selectively, that the whole point is. We work only on evidence, by law and by constitution. This doesn't mean that there will be no charges in the future for the current ministers, but I'm saying, while we're talking, we don't have any charges for the ministers in office, we have it all for the former ministers of other cabinets”, Isufaj said.

Isufaj was asked by journalists whether Prime Minister Kurti will be forced to testify in the case of state reserves, following his refusal to go to the Prosecutor.

Isufaj said he can't prejudge anything.

According to him, the law applies to all equally and does not take place selectively.

Isufaj added it is unfair to do so selectively.

I can't stand to judge anything anymore. I said initially that citizens are equal before the law and that the law will be applied to all equally, we don't do this selectively, it's not fair to do it selectively, because if we do it selectively we do criminal acts”, he said.