19 February 2014

Today, an international prosecutor from the Kosovo Special Prosecution Office (SPRK) filed an indictment against the former Minister of Transport and Post-Telecommunication, and four other individuals, co-accused for various criminal offences including - 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 by the prosecutor 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.  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. According to the prosecutor, these offences took place in 2008 while one of the defendants served as the Minister of Transport.

The prosecutor alleges damages to the budget of the Ministry of Transport in the amount of at least 890.000 euros.

This joint investigation was conducted by the Kosovo Police Department of Anti-Corruption and the EULEX Organised Crime Investigation Unit (OCIU), led by an international prosecutor from the SPRK.