In Election of Kosovo’s Top Prosecutor, Red Flags Ignored

"Knowing the importance of this process, the Office of the President has begun to review and analyse in detail all the documentation received, all the facts and circumstances related to this process," Bekim Kupina, a presidential media adviser, told BIRN.

"The president is in communication with stakeholders and in the coming days will meet with representatives of organisations that have monitored the process of selecting the Chief Prosecutor to hear their remarks on the progress of this process."

It is unclear under the law what happens if the president rejects the choice.

Complaints and recommendations disregarded

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani at an interview for BIRN Kosovo show Kallxo Pernime, April 19, 2022. Photo: BIRN

Isufaj, a former head of the KPC and of Kosovo's Special Prosecution, received the highest score from the KPC - 98 out of 100.

The other challengers - Shqipdon Fazliu, Kujtim Munishi, Armend Hamiti, and Lulzim Sulejmani - all appealed to the Complaints Commission.

The Commission found that, in one instance, two candidates gave similar answers on questions concerning integrity, yet one member of the KPC gave them two very different scores - 16 out of 20 and 20 out of 20. Neither candidate had been the subject of any legal case or disciplinary procedure. The KPC member provided no reasoning for the different scores.

In another case, a KPC member appeared to mark down one candidate for initiating disciplinary procedures against their subordinates, which would normally be evaluated positively.

The Complaints Commission upheld a complaint from Sulejmani concerning scoring and equal treatment; it also upheld a complaint from Fazliu over the fact he did not have...