Kosovo govt. minister charged with witness intimidation

A minister in the Kosovo government has been accused of pressuring a witness in the Haradinaj case.

Izvor: FoNet

Monday, 24.12.2007.

13:17

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A minister in the Kosovo government has been accused of pressuring a witness in the Haradinaj case. At the Hague Tribunal on January 10, Culture, Sport and Youth Minister Astrit Haracija will answer charges of witness intimidation in the trial of Haradinaj, charged with committing atrocities against civilians, writes Pristina daily Express. Kosovo govt. minister charged with witness intimidation Hague prosecutors have already questioned Haracija in connection with trying to convince Nazif Ramabaja, a witness in the Ramush Haradinaj trial, “not to do what he shouldn’t do.” According to the daily, the minister sent his ministry colleague and sports journalist, Bajrush Morina, to Norway, where Ramabaja has lived since the end of the war, with a message not to testify against Haradinaj. Ekspres writes that Ramabaja, before receiving Morina, set up microphones in his flat in Oslo to record the conversation, during which Morina passed on his message. The footage, put together by the Norwegian police, was submitted to the Hague, whose investigators later questioned Morina and Haracija. As a result, the minister, a member of the Democratic Union of Kosovo, will have to appear before the Tribunal on January 10. If found guilty of witness intimidation, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison or a fine up to EUR 10,000. Haracija has announced that he will go The Hague, and denies the allegations. “I did not make any kind of mistake and I did not participate in any way in what is known as witness intimidation,” said the minister. Ramush Haradinaj, Astrit Haracija, in a 2005 photo (Beta)

Kosovo govt. minister charged with witness intimidation

Hague prosecutors have already questioned Haracija in connection with trying to convince Nazif Ramabaja, a witness in the Ramush Haradinaj trial, “not to do what he shouldn’t do.”

According to the daily, the minister sent his ministry colleague and sports journalist, Bajrush Morina, to Norway, where Ramabaja has lived since the end of the war, with a message not to testify against Haradinaj.

Ekspres writes that Ramabaja, before receiving Morina, set up microphones in his flat in Oslo to record the conversation, during which Morina passed on his message.

The footage, put together by the Norwegian police, was submitted to the Hague, whose investigators later questioned Morina and Haracija.

As a result, the minister, a member of the Democratic Union of Kosovo, will have to appear before the Tribunal on January 10.

If found guilty of witness intimidation, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison or a fine up to EUR 10,000.

Haracija has announced that he will go The Hague, and denies the allegations.

“I did not make any kind of mistake and I did not participate in any way in what is known as witness intimidation,” said the minister.

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