Less decisions, more corruption

Prishtina, March 3rd – Today FOL Movement held a press conference publishing annual report “Corruption Monitor 2012”, which represents all activities of responsible institutions for fighting and Preventing corruption for the period January-December 2012 .

Fidan Kalaja from FOL Movement said that “the fight against corruption is not only based on public promises without any support in practical actions but it has also taken another dimension considering anti-corruption fight and policies only as a criteria and pressure from international community disregarding the contextual circumstances and needs. He further added that “the progress in the fight against corruption remains one of the most important criteria of Kosovo integration in EU, the EU mission of rule of law in Kosovo, EULEX which is responsible also fighting corruption was not that effective fighting corruption and was criticized also by the European Court of Auditors “.

Whereas, Armend Mazreku researcher at FOL Movement, stressed that “this policy report shows the absolute lack of seriousness of public institutions to prevent and fight corruption.” He further stated that “the institutions responsible for fighting corruption have not taken sufficient measures needed to reduce the high level of corruption in public institutions.”
According to the findings of this report, the Government of Kosovo during 2012 has issued only five decisions against corruption: a) approval of the Strategy and Anti- Corruption Action Plan for 2013 to 2017, b ) establishment of an Executive Committee (which includes Anti -Corruption policies and judiciary ), c ) termination of two board members , one member of the Board of Directors of ” Hidrodrini” Sh.A. from Peja, and another member of the board of directors in Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK), d) approval of the draft – law on Enhanced Competencies for confiscation of the property illegally obtained, f) approval of two concept papers: Drafting the draft-law on amending the law on Declaration and Origin of Assets of Senior Public Officials, as well as a draft law on amending the law on Prevention of conflict of Interest in of public functions.

Furthermore, according to this report, regular municipal courts in Kosovo transferred 197 cases from the previous years. These courts throughout 2012 have filed a total of 169 cases, while 366 are active cases. Regular municipal courts during 2012 have solved a total of 148 cases. Meanwhile, at the end of the reporting period, 218 cases have remained unsolved.
According to prosecution statistics related to anti-corruption, it results that they have transferred 802 cases from the previous years. During the same period of one year, 376 new cases have been filed. 140 proposal charges were filed and 132 charges. 770 cases have been solved and 990 cases remained unsolved. At the end of the reporting period there were265 unsolved criminal charges.
According to the statistics of the Department of Economic Crimes and Corruption Investigation (DECCI), which operates within Kosovo Police, it appears that during the year 2012 were conducted investigations against 157 people, 56 were arrested, 129 were sent to the prosecution with identified perpetrators, one case was sent to the prosecution with N / N and 19 cases were sent with Prosecutor’s report.

Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in 2012, according to this report has been mainly focused on three activities in the fight against corruption: declaration of assets, as one of the main legal obligations to senior public officials, where according to ACA in 2012 91.71% of the officials declared their assets. They reviewed a number of cases of conflict of interest, and issued an analysis on the prosecution and adjudication of corruption cases in Kosovo.