Kosovo: Hopes at “Super-Mechanisms” on Anti-Corruption Fade

Kosova Democratic Institute (KDI) / Transparency International Kosova (TIK) reacts to the arrest by the Police on suspicion of corruption of the Chief of Task Force against Corruption (established by the Prime Minister), the Prosecutor Nazmi Mustafi and of another second person. This event has raised public doubts that the politics itself is involved in corruption practices and has created frustration and loss of hopes among the citizens of Kosovo that corruption can be fought in this country.

Fully respecting the principle of presumption of innocence until the Court decides otherwise, KDI estimates that the arrest of the Chief of Anti-Corruption Task Force, under suspicion of corruption only as an ACT heavily damages the efforts and hopes to rule the rule of law in Kosovo.

Also, this case demonstrates once again the failure of multiple mechanisms established by the political institutions in Kosovo (the Presidency, the Government, and the Assembly), for fighting corruption effectively, seriously putting into question the need for their further existence. Because, these “super-mechanisms” are established only for media effects, as well as for domestic political consumption.

Therefore, KDI/TIK requires the state institutions to contribute to supporting and strengthening of the prosecution bodies and the judiciary, as an independent power, defined by the Constitution of Kosovo, a power that today is not in the best condition, facing lack of professional staff, lack of prosecutors and judges, lack of security, and what is the most important the lack of independence form political influence.