Kosovo’s Independent Media Commission (IMC) was at the centre of a corruption case after its senior officials were convicted of accepting a bribe to protect a cable company from penalties. In June 2021, Kosovo Police arrested Arben Bilalli, the Director of Administration and Finance at IMC during an undercover police operation. He was caught accepting an €8,000 bribe from Elhami Haziri, one of the owners of Telkos LLC. The following day, authorities arrested Luan Latifi, the Chief Executive of the IMC, for his alleged involvement in the same bribery.

The Prosecution claimed that Bilalli and Latifi had earlier met with Telkos owners Elhami Haziri, Enver Berisha, and Ymer Kurtolli to demand a bribe in exchange for waiving a fine for Telkos. The company had violated legal regulations by expanding its network across Kosovo without notifying the IMC.

During the undercover operation, Bilalli accepted €8,000 from Elhami Haziri, which police later found in his vehicle. Evidence also showed that after receiving the bribe, Bilalli remained in constant communication with Latifi, through text messages and social media. The Prosecution contended that both officials committed bribery as co-perpetrators. As a result, the Basic Court in Pristina ordered pre-trial detention for the suspects, while the IMC suspended Latifi.

In September 2021, prosecutors charged both men with bribery. They alleged that Bilalli initially demanded €20,000 on behalf of Latifi. but later settled for €8,000. Investigators provided text messages as evidence, including one from Billali to Latifi saving "He’s only giving 10". Surveillance confirmed that Bilalli informed Latifi after receiving the bribe.

Both defendants challenged the indictment, but the Court of Appeals upheld the charges in December 2021. The main trial began in July 2022. Bilalli pleaded guilty to the charges, while Latifi pleaded not guilty. Following a proposal by Bilalli’s defence, the court proceedings for the two defendants were separated.

In July 2022, the Basic Court sentenced Bilalli to 140 days in prison, a €12,000 fine and banned him from holding public office for three years after the finalization of this verdict. Latifi's trial continued with Telkos owners testifying against him. Prosecutors also presented wiretapped conversations between Bilalli, Latifi, and the Telkos representatives as evidence.

During his defence, Latifi claimed that during meetings with Telkos owners, money was never mentioned, and the discussions mainly focused on a tax issue. In his closing arguments, he also argued that the charges against him were based on fabricated and distorted evidence. However, prosecutors emphasized his role as a public official and his lack of remorse as aggravating factors.

In February 2024, the Basic Court in Priština sentenced Latifi to two years in prison and a €5,000 fine in the first instance. Additionally, he was banned from holding public for three years.

This case underscores how top officials of an independent regulatory body, entrusted with upholding the law abused their power positions for personal gain. Corruption of this kind also harms fair competition and weakens the foundations of a rules-based system. However, the successful investigation and prosecution of this case also highlight the effectiveness of Kosovo's law enforcement and judiciary in tackling corruption at high levels.