Limaj Faces New Indictment in Kosovo

The EULEX prosecutor, Johannes Pickert, has raised a second indictment against Limaj and the other defendants, accusing them of “organised crime, misappropriation in office, entering into harmful contracts, abusing official position or authority, accepting bribes and other corruption related offences.

“Three defendants are alleged... to have manipulated tender procedures, engaged in giving and receiving bribes and obstructing evidence with regard to the conduct of two tenders under the authority of the Ministry of Transport”, EULEX said.

“These defendants are alleged to have committed these offences for personal material benefit. Two defendants are alleged to have engaged in misuse of economic authorizations, as well as the criminal offence of giving bribes”, the mission added.

According to the prosecutor, these offences took place in 2008 while Limaj was Minister of Transport. The prosecution alleges damages to the budget of the ministry worth over 890,000 euro.

In a separate case, the so-called “MTPT case” Limaj and three other defendants are accused, among other things, of manipulating tender procedures, giving and receiving bribes and obstructing evidence in relation to three tenders in the Ministry of Transport and Post Telecommunication, MTPT, for personal or material benefit.

The trial is to continue once the court agrees on a final indictment. The document was changed last July as several charges have been dismissed, but Limaj’s defence asked the court to drop all the charges.

The issue is still at appeal level.

Limaj, a former Kosovo Liberation Army commander, was also one of ten suspects in the high-profile "Klecka" war crimes case, accused of abusing prisoners at a detention camp during the...