'Culture of Impunity' Grips Kosovo, Report Says

As Kosovo struggles to repress organized crime and corruption, a new report by the non-governmental Organization for Democracy, Anti-corruption and Dignity, Çohu!, says not enough has changed.

“Kosovo’s politics has never been resistant to corruption and organized crime, but has indulged itself in an unfettered enterprise of siphoning of public wealth for private interests,” it said.

The report, "Culture of Impunity in Kosovo", analyses the behaviour of political parties and the government in spending public money, considering that “public goods in Kosovo have fallen into the clutches of politics.

“Once a coalition of political parties takes the driving wheel of the state, the rewards from the distribution of the public goods are readily placed in the hands of politically affiliated groups,” the report added.

Glauk Konjufca, from the opposition Vetevendosje Movement, said the current government had been "unscrupulous.

“I am especially impressed with the process of transforming public money into party money," he said.

"The government distributes public money to private companies through tenders. Our public money is turned into party money because companies are favored because they are willing to share their benefits [with the ruling parties] or because they are willing to finance the electoral campaign of those parties”, he said after the publication of the report on Tuesday.

The report also slated rule of law and anti-corruptions institutions for not doing their job.

“Corruption-related cases are not resolved as fast as many as cases related to other criminal offences... so called ‘political corruption’ was not dealt with”, Lorik Bajrami, from Organization for Democracy...