Police reveal more about Banjska investigations following Stano's statements

48 identified terrorists, criminal charges against 45 people, local arrest warrants against 41 suspects and 39 international warrants. This is the subsequent result of the nine-month police investigation in co-operation with Special Procuy, in connection with the September 24th attack on Banjska, where hero Africa Bulnjak was killed.

Police have shared this information with Gazeta Express, two days after European Union spokesman Peter Stano said that to proceed with steps towards Serbia for Banjska, the investigation report by Kosovo authorities must be finalised.

“The investigation must be completed by Kosovo authorities. This is something that has happened on Kosovo's territory and Kosovo authorities are at the helm of the investigation and to ensure or share the full findings of the investigation, and this has yet to happen, so we cannot proceed without having the results of the” investigation, Stano said.

The EU spokesman said that when asked by reporters why the EU is punishing Serbia for Banjska.

In a reply, police have said that in co-operation with the Special Prosecutor, they have undertaken all necessary investigative actions.

Kosovo Police have so far identified 40-eight (48) suspected persons who have participated in the terrorist attack, including in this number three (3) neutralised persons during the September 24th 2023 anti-terrorism operation. Kosovo police have filed criminal charges against forty-five (45) persons (including three (3) persons found under the detention measure)...”, the police response reported.

Criminal charges have been filed under suspicion that acts have been consumed: Heavy murder, attack against the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo, heavy acts against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo. The Union for Anti-Relical Activity, the carrying out of terrorist work, preparing terrorist acts or criminal acts against the constitutional order and security of the Republic of Kosovo, money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Police have also uncovered the number of local and international arrest warrants that have been established so far in this case.

Kosovo's “Police, in co-operation with the Special Prosecutor, have so far established local warrants against forty-one (41) suspected persons, as well as thirty-nine (39) international arrest warrants”, have stated by police.

Some evidence from this case, police have suggested they were sent abroad, but that the answers have not yet been received.

All found during the examination of the site, classified evidence, but also during the analysis and examination of the evidence, along with all paperwork and surveillance documents have long been made available to the Special Prosecutor. With the aim of developing full investigation, in co-ordination with the Special Prosecutor, there has been a need for some evidence to be sent out of the country for which examinations have yet to be accepted responses”, the police response concludes.

For Stano's statement, they have also emerged from the Government of Kosovo in response. Government spokesman Progress Kryeziu has said that as Government, the European Union has submitted a 48-page report to him.

He has said that if Stano is referring to the report that should be prepared by the country's prosecution, then this is an issue for which answers should be sought by this institution itself.

“Like the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, within our competencies, we have compiled a 48-page report on the terrorist and paramilitary attack we have handed over to the European Union and to each member state since last year. This information I believe spokesman Stano must have. If he in his ongoing statements is referring to the report that should be prepared by the country's prosecution, then this is an issue we should seek answers from this institution”, Kryeziu has declared.

Like his boss, Kryez has criticised the Special Prosecutor for the way he handles the case.

For us, it remains extremely disturbing and meaningless that even after nine months, there is no indictment on the one hand from the country's prosecution for Milan Radojic and on the other side of the international community, including the European Union, despite evidence of its involvement in the September 24th 2023 attack. We remember that Radojcik continues to remain at large and the continuing potential risk for security and peace in the region, Kryeziu has said.

For Stano's statement, Kosovo's ambassador to Belgium, Agron Bajrami, who said Kosovo has sent not one but some EU reports.

According to Bajram, the Kosovo Embassy in Brussels has officially informed the EU and member states of the attack on Banjska through several documents. He has listed all procedures Kosovo has undertaken immediately after the attack.

On 24 September, on the day of the attack, Bajrami says urgent information has been sent about the terrorist attack. The document had two pages.

Two days later, on September 26th, the 12-page document with initial information has been sent.

On September 28th, according to Bajrami, a document with actual information was sent, while on October 9th physical copies of the preliminary findings -- the 46-page document -- that has been handed over to the EAS delegation.

On 18 October, Bajrami says the findings were sent to all EU and NATO member states.

On October 20th, the preliminary report (51 pages) was sent to the EU, NATO and all their member states. During December 2023 and during January-February 2024, updated versions of the report were divided. The information involved in these documents is factual, proven and convincing beyond reasonable suspicion” Bajrami wrote in his account at “X”.

Otherwise, nine months since this terrorist attack on the Kosovo Police was carried out on Monday, where hero Africa Bulnjak was killed. Milan Radojicic, former deputy chairman of the Serbian List and sanctioned by the United States of America, has claimed responsibility for the attack. In this case, there has not been an accusation.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has consistently criticised the Special Prosecutor for handling the case and not raising the indictment.

During the meeting of the General Council of the Vetevendosje Movement on April 14 of this year, Kurti had said that even if it were the third week without execution, the issue would have to be troubled, not since then 30 weeks after the attack.

“Here, I have to recall that today we are entering the 30th week since chief criminal Milan Radojic, sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom still has no indictment by our State Prosecutor for the terrorist attack that killed us, the sergeant, the hero, African Bulnjak. The attack he publicly acknowledged participation and authorship. Even the third week, if it were an indictment, it would have to be troubled that it leaves the 30th week we entered today!

Similar statements, Kurti, had issued earlier, in which he had promoted the reaction of the Prosecutorial Council.

The KKP had asked the prime minister to stay away from institutions of the prosecutorial system.

“Consequently, the KKP requires the Government of Kosovo to allow all organs to act in accordance with valid laws and authorisations in the country, and that these statements call the prime minister's recycled public representations that have biased restraint against the State Prosecutor's institution and are based on incorrect, unrecognitional, unconceitable, and frequent prejudices, which are being made in any case that he and his cabinet members are given the option of<1>, said in other response.

According to the Criminal Procedure Code, the investigation ends within two years.

But, based on the state prosecutor's request, “the judge of the preliminary procedure could authorise the extension of the investigation from paragraph 1 of this article to a year, when the state prosecutor proves that the investigation has been conducted actively and that any delay is out of state prosecutor's control. ”