EU Kosovo Mission ‘Unaffected’ by UK Payout to Whistleblower

EULEX has insisted that the financial settlement agreed by its former prosecutor turned whistleblower Maria Bamieh with the UK government does not have anything to do with the European rule-of-law mission in Kosovo because Bamieh's corruption allegations against EULEX were dismissed four years ago.

"The EU Rule of Law Mission to Kosovo (EULEX) is not a party to this settlement nor is it privy to its terms… nor is it affected by it in any way," EULEX's press office told BIRN.

Bamieh, a former EULEX prosecutor, agreed a settlement reportedly amounting to £423,000 with the her employer, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, after she launched a case claiming that her contract was wrongfully terminated after she raised suspicions of corruption at EULEX.

The agreement was reached with no admission of liability before the first hearing at the British employment tribunal.

"The settlement also included a large tax liability which was paid directly to HMRC [the British tax authority] and meant the sum received by the claimant was much lower than is being reported," Richard Le Vay, head of internal politics and communications at the British Embassy in Pristina, told BIRN.

Le Vay quoted a British Foreign Office spokesperson as saying that "we have agreed to settle this long-running case without any admission of liability and continue to strongly refute these allegations".

Bamieh alleged in 2012 that a EULEX judge took bribes to close two high-profile cases, one involving a ministry official, raising her concerns with EULEX, the British Foreign Office and ambassador.

A year later, she went was subjected to disciplinary proceedings over the facilitation of work experience opportunities and car parking...