Scandal with water bookers: Naser Hafizi continues detention for another month

The Constitutional Court in Pristina has continued the detention measure for another month, Naser Hafizi, task manager of the Regional River Plogue Authority (ARPL) at the Ministry of Environment, Space Planning and Infrastructure (MMPHI).

Hafizi suspected of criminal acts “Use of official authority task”, “Clearing money” and “Disreporting or false reporting of income wealth, gifts, other property benefits or financial obligations”, reports the “Betrim for Justice”.

News of continuing the detention measure has confirmed the “Justice Trust”, Mirlinda Gashi, spokeswoman for the Constitutional Court in Pristina.

“PPS.n.84/2024 of the date 05.02.2025 for continuing the detention period in a month's length, in the criminal case against indictees N.H., the Constitutional Court in Pristina -- the Special Department with the date 10,02.2025 has received the verdict and approved the SPRK's request, as well as the measure of detention of the N.H. It has been continued in length of 1 (one) months”, Gashi says in response.

On October 10th 2024, Naser Hafizi, the task manager of the Regional River Lakes Authority (ARPL), was arrested at Pristina airport. That, since, the Special Prosecutor, during the action on October 8th had indicated that Hafizi was not found in his residence.

In this case, the Constitutional Court in Pristina on October 9th 2024 had approved the Special Prosecutor's request of the Republic of Kosovo, setting the measure of house arrest in 30 days, Izedin Bytyqitı, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, under suspicion of misuse of official office and unlicensed weapons. He has been interrupted.

By contrast, according to the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo, the debt the economic operators had to account for the Regional Banking Authority (ARPL) was close to 20m euros. However, Naser Hafizi is suspected to have initiated a decision to reduce debts.

In the Foundation's decision on the detention assignment, there is a doubt that Hafizi has carried out works in the quality of the ARPL deputy director at MMPHI, contrary to the Kosovo Water Law, administrative instruction No. 06/2021 for the Water Tax Structura, as well as bypassing the Ministerial Group's report, which was formed in order to estimate the employee's debts to ARPL.

It said the report in question showed that the overall value of debts generated by economic operators is 19,297,447.67 euros, while the illegal-based defendant has initiated making illegal decisions for reducing debts of several economic operators, with the aim of profiting himself or other persons illegally, causing damage to Kosovo's budget.

On the other hand, there is reportedly suspicion based that defendant Naser Hafizi, knowing that his wealth stems from illegal activity and is acquired with the intent of committing criminal acts, with the aim of hiding the real resource of wealth, cash-money has been introduced into the banking system in order for this illegal money to appear legal.

On the other hand, Hafizi reportedly in the quality of the top public official has been obliged to make the declaration of property, but had not presented the required data correctly. Exactly, for 2020, he did not declare his residence on “Bill Clinton”, even since 2022 he had purchased another flat in Fushe-Kosovo and did not declare a flat that he had purchased in 2023, which he was obliged to declare in 2024.