Slovenia passes investigation, prosecution for GEN scandal to Serbia, Martin Berishaaj

After completing the preliminary phase, the prosecution has ascertained allegations based on criminal acts of abuse of position or trust in economic activities, but has decided that the case is handed over to Serbian authorities, as the suspected person is a citizen of Serbia and allegedly that the work was carried out on Serbian territory, Slovenia's Radio Television reports.

During the procedure it has been found that all relevant evidence is in Serbia and that the Republic of Serbia does not extradite its citizens. For this reason, Slovenian authorities have transferred the case to competent prosecution in Serbia at the request for prosecution.

The Slovenian prosecutor has not provided more details, stressing the interest of maintaining investigations and personal data.

The scandal erupted three days before the recent parliamentary elections in Slovenia, when documents from a foreign anti-money laundering agency were published, mentioning payments by Gen Belgrade for two Berisha companies registered in Kosovo and Montenegro, with the same name, MB Consulting.

According to the data, Geni Belgrade transferred more than twom euros to several installments to Berisha's companies, while he reportedly has attracted almost 1.8m euros in cash. This has raised questions in public opinion about the nature of the services Berishaaj has provided, which is by profession a politicologist, and the reasons for attracting a large amount in the cash.

The contract with Berisha had been signed by Borislav Antović, financial adviser to Geni Belgrade, who has indicated that he cannot issue statements without the employers' permission.

Meanwhile, then-Geni Belgrade leader Igor Koprivnikar has suggested that the questions address the office for public relations in Geni, which has also stated there is no information on this procedure.

Gen Slovenia's board chairman, Max Helbl, has publicly stated in February 2023 that payments to Berisha represented 0.5% of the value of contracts for electricity supply to Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro, where Berisha had helped through information on the state of the energy system and market risks.

Berisha himself, ahead of a parliamentary investigative commission in Kosovo, has stressed that he has offered political advice on the company's strategies, without having a direct role in selling energy.

I advised the company how to act politically. I didn't have anything to do with selling energy, but I gave them a political view of strategies that have a state in a certain situation,” he said in November 2022.

Regarding allegations of money laundering, evasion from taxing and false reporting of property, Berishaaj, after being interviewed in March of last year, has again been interviewed by the Kosovo Special Prosecutor on June 26th of this year.

We can confirm that Mr. Martin Berishaaj was interviewed Thursday by the Special Prosecutor, under investigation that are under way against him regarding criminal acts “Money storage”, “Avoid the taxing” and “of false reporting or reporting of property, income, gift, other material benefits or financial obligations”, said in the SPRK media response.

To Martin Berishatis, prosecution The investigation had begun. Even for misuse of the Kosovo citizens' voting process for votes from the diaspora.