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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The Basic Court in Pristina has found guilty and sentenced the country's former Prime Minister, Agim Çeku, and 9 other defendants to one year in prison each in the retrial of the "Veterans" case, while fully acquitting two others of the charges.
Çeku, former Defense Minister Rrustem Berisha, former MP Shkumbin Demalijaj, then Sadik Halitjaha, Qelë Gashi, Shukri Buja, Ahmet Daku, Faik Fazliu, Fadil Shurdhaj and Xhavit Jashari were found guilty of abuse of office, causing damage to the state budget worth over 88 million euros.
Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj were found not guilty of the same charges.
Judge Gazmend Bahtiri said that Nuredin Lushtaku and Smajl Elezaj are acquitted of the charges "since they did not have the capacity of an official person."
Bahtiri added that after administering personal and material evidence, it has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the criminal offense.
This case was returned for retrial by decision of the Court of Appeal in 2022, after the Basic Court had acquitted all 12 defendants in 2021.
According to prosecutors, the number of illegal beneficiaries of veteran status could be up to 19,000 people.
Bahtiri added that the Court has not been able to identify each of the 19,500 applications for veteran status, therefore he believes that the relevant procedure should be reviewed and then a decision made on whether they enjoy veteran status or not.
According to the indictment prepared by former special prosecutor Elez Blakaj, the persons involved are said to have abused their official duties and authority from 2011 to 2017, acting as members of the Government Commission for the Recognition and Verification of the Status of the National Martyr, the Disabled, the Veteran, the Member and the Internee of the Kosovo Liberation Army War, by intentionally exceeding their competences and by failing to fulfill their official duties, in order to benefit other persons in an illegal manner, continuously, to the detriment of the state budget./ REL
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