Allegations of corruption shake EU mission in Kosovo

Allegations of corruption shake EU mission in Kosovo

BELGRADE, BRUSSELS -- Instead of introducing legal standards of their countries to Kosovo, international prosecutors and judges serving there "have adopted local ways."

According to the Belgrade-based Politika daily, "the falsification of evidence against Oliver Ivanović" is one proof of this.

The first blow suffered by the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, was when Albanian language daily Koha Ditore on Monday reported that British prosecutor Maria Bamieh "obtained evidence that two senior officials of the EULEX mission received bribes to dismiss at least three major criminal cases."

According to the report, "the Task Force Against Corruption eavesdropped on participants in several criminal operations when they intercepted conversations of chief EULEX prosecutor, Jaroslava Novotna, and President of the Assembly of EULEX Judges Francesco Flori, who met with various intermediaries in order to cover up serious crimes."

The two officials have denied these accusations.

The report noted that "it is believed that they contributed to the closure of criminal proceedings against prominent former KLA commander and later minister Fatmir Limaj, as well as former Secretary General of the Kosovo Ministry of Health Ilir Tolaja," and in the case concerning the explosion in a bar owned by Enver Sekiraqa, where the suspects included "members of a special Kosovo police unit."

Prosecutor Maria Bamieh "collected concrete evidence against the two officials, but also against former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo Jonathan Ratel, who allegedly interfered in the investigation against Novotna and Flori," writes the paper.

...