Sylejman Selimi: Until spring of 1998 there were command levels between General Staff and KLA areas

That statement, the witness made during Hashim Thaci's defence questions, represented by lawyer Luka Misetic, reports “The Justice Trust”.

Misetiq first asked the witness what the Prescazi Group was, where Sylejman Selimi himself was involved.

He said that this group was headed by the Legendary Commander, Adem Jashar, Hammez Yashhar, and several other friends.

“Sami Lushtaku, Sahit Jashari, Fadil Kodra, Nuredin Lushtaku, Zenun Kodra”, said Selimi, when asked who else was part of this group.

The Witness was also asked whether it is true that he said that he had heard in the past 1997 about a General Staff.

I've always heard of the General Staff and members of the General Staff, but I didn't know them and I don't know where they had headquarters”, witness Sylejman Selimi responded.

Selimi said that publicly as a member The KLA has emerged on January 30th in 1997, while its key to this facility has been earlier.

The Witness answered with exact “” when asked whether it's true from '97 to March of 1998, there was only one authority over him, which he was Adem Jashar.

“Adem Jashari has always been Kosovo Liberation Army chief and chief commander”, Sylejman Selimi said.

His answer was not heard when he was asked if there was any knowledge of any direct contact with any of the people in the General Staff.

I'm probably in contact with some people, but I never know what position they're in and I don't have a day. Later I have known that they were members or members of the General Staff”, Selimi replied when asked about his contacts with members of the General Staff.

According to Misetic, in a statement the witness had said there was no real structure of the KLA at this time, and there were no areas or groups.

The Witness stated that this is an exact description of KLA until the beginning of 1998.

In addition, he claimed that it is accurate to say that he and 1015 soldiers were deployed by Adam Jashar to protect a single village of Drenica, which was Achareva, specifically the birthplace of the witness.

After that, Misetic said the witness has declared that by the spring of 1998 there were no levels of command between the General Staff and areas.

The correct “is”, the witness said.

Selimi confirmed that how the villagers area has been mobilised to protect villages, forming in different groups, and that they have chosen the area commander.

“In the Drenica area, there are also several groups or other friends who have had some of their own soldiers and all these groups and individuals have come to a proposal for Commander Drenica. At that time they're called dots or even different figures like Shkoza, where I was and so on. It's correct”, the witness said.

Otherwise, Misethic announced the timing, his questions would end sooner than he planned.