This case involves Albina Nura, a former official of the European Union Office in Kosovo, who was charged in May 2021 with abuse of office and conflict of interest. She was accused of unlawfully increasing an EU project’s contract value by €500,000 for personal gain and failing to disclose her ownership in businesses that received EU funding, among other allegations. During the initial hearing in November 2021, Nura pleaded not guilty before the basic court in Pristina. In December 2023, the first-instance proceedings were disrupted by a change in the judicial panel, resulting in a retrial. The court proceedings are still ongoing, and no first-instance verdict has been reached yet.

On 18 May 2021, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo (PSRK) filed an indictment against Albina Nura, a former official of the European Union Office in Kosovo (EUOK), charging her with abuse of office or official authority and conflict of interest. The indictment alleged that from mid-2013 to November 2017, in her role as a local official responsible for public administration reforms at EUOK, Nura deliberately exceeded her authority by exploiting her official position, causing €500,000 in financial damage to the EU budget.

According to the indictment, during the implementation of the tender under the project Support for Policies and Strategic Planning of Kosovo, Nura is alleged to have prepared documentation with the purpose of increasing the contract value from its original €2,085,000 to €2,584,800. The indictment further alleges that this was done to obtain a personal financial benefit and was achieved by extending the contract by three months, resulting in approximately €500,000 of additional costs.

The prosecution also alleged that the accused unlawfully appointed civil servants and state employees as non-core experts, violating contract terms. She allegedly facilitated the selection of public officials as junior experts, despite their senior-level status, breaching appointment criteria.

According to the indictment, Nura allegedly approved an extension of non-core expert Rron Dalladaku’s engagement by 205 days for the Technical Assistance for the Further Development of Kosovo’s Trade Policy project during the absence of the project manager on 17–18 June 2014. The indictment alleges that this extension resulted in payments of €76,950. Based on this alleged conduct, Nura was charged with abuse of office or official authority.

The second part of the indictment stated that in August 2013, Nura, as the manager of the Support for Policies and Strategic Planning of Kosovo project, assigned the highest rating to the offer of a consortium led by Corporate & Public Management Consulting Group (CPM) during the project's evaluation process. This consortium included Sustainable Strategy and Development Consulting, a Kosovo-based company owned by Rron Dalladaku, a former colleague of Nura from EUOK.

The indictment stated that despite knowing Rron Dalladaku's business was part of the consortium in the project she evaluated and managed, Nura allowed the consortium to win the project without declaring the conflict of interest to senior management, as required by applicable regulations and guidelines.

Finally, the indictment noted that Nura owned shares in two businesses, Agmia FRUITS and Ferma Kodra e Diellit. When Agmia FRUITS won an EU-funded project valued at €218,664.56, Nura failed to disclose her ownership in the business. Additionally, the company that verified that grant’s expenditures was managed by her business partners from Ferma Kodra e Diellit. As a result, Nura was accused of a conflict of interest.

On 16 November 2021, during the initial hearing, Albina Nura pleaded not guilty before the special department of the basic court in Pristina. The defence filed a motion to dismiss the indictment and challenge the evidence, but the indictment was ultimately upheld.

The main trial began on 26 October 2022. In her opening statement, Albina Nura claimed the €500,000 contract increase was approved by the former head of EUOK and the head of contracts and finance. She also denied any involvement in selecting experts or the tendering process. Regarding the conflict-of-interest allegations, Nura explained that Dalladaku, her former colleague who participated in the tender, had been verified and approved by EU structures. Lastly, she rejected accusations of violating the ethics code by failing to declare external business activities.

On 15 December 2023, EUOK, as the injured party in the trial, requested the removal of presiding judge Vesel Ismajli, citing multiple reasons, including violations of the principles of equality of parties and judicial impartiality. On 27 December 2023, the president of the basic court in Pristina approved the request, officially removing Judge Ismajli from the case. As a result, a new judicial panel was appointed, requiring the trial to start from the beginning.

With the restart of the trial in July 2024, Judge Valon Kurtaj announced the new trial panel. The accused, Nura, again pleaded not guilty, while all parties expressed interest in a swift resolution of the case. To expedite the process, the court approved to consider all statements from previous hearings as already presented.

During the proceedings, the defence repeatedly argued that the EU office was withholding key evidence that they had requested. The court had also ordered the EU office to provide these documents. The EU office, which had submitted some of the requested materials, claimed that the defence’s repeated requests were a deliberate strategy to delay the trial and push the case toward expiration. EUOK had also previously noted that obtaining the requested evidence required multiple procedures set by the European Commission, which could take years to complete.

The court proceedings in the case are ongoing, and a first-instance verdict has yet to be reached.

This case illustrates the potential misuse of EU funds intended to support critical development initiatives in Kosovo. The alleged actions of Albina Nura, including the reported €500,000 damage to the EU budget, the favouritism toward specific individuals and companies, and the failure to disclose conflicts of interest, undermine trust in the integrity of public institutions and EU-funded initiatives. As the trial progresses, it is essential for civil society to remain vigilant and demand accountability.