“Organ trafficking inquiry under way”

The investigation into the suspected trafficking of organs extracted from abducted Kosovo Serbs is under way, says War Crimes Prosecutor spokesman Bruno Vekaric. He said that a lot had been done to uncover the truth about what happened in Kosovo and north Albania in 1999. “Organ trafficking inquiry under way” While not giving away details of the investigation, Vekaric said that all the signs pointed to the possibility of an international organized crime ring involving many officials on the current Albanian political scene. The spokesman added that there were indications that, as former Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte mentioned in her book, certain former UNMIK officials had also been seriously involved in all these goings-on. “It is known from reliable sources that UNMIK conducted an investigation into missing Serbs, that it was called off very abruptly, and that no-one knows the exact findings of the investigation. The fact that many charges have been pressed for organ trafficking by the Albanians themselves leads us to believe that we are talking about international organized crime here. This must now be confirmed,” Vekaric said. He said that the Hague Tribunal had transferred information gathered by Hague investigators in the case to the prosecutor’s office in Belgrade. Vekaric said that he expected an official response from UNMIK on whether the probe into the missing Kosovo Serbs had ever been carried out, or if the civil administration had halted the investigation. “Our prosecution expects an answer from the International Red Cross as well, regarding the existence of concentration camps in Albania. The Albanian Prosecutor’s Office can shed light on what was happening in the north of Albania, on whether there was a yellow house in which operations were reportedly conducted, provided it is willing to carry out a serious inquiry,” the spokesman stressed. Moreover, he denied that the authorities in Serbia had had any knowledge of the matter prior to publication of Del Ponte’s book, or indeed, had had any indication that human organs were being trafficked. Vekaric claims that none of the 200 witnesses interviewed in investigations into crimes committed by the KLA had ever mentioned such atrocities prior to the publication of the book. He said that the witnesses had talked about other crimes, including kidnapping, rape, torture, execution and deportation, but that organ trafficking was a different matter. “We have already questioned 12 witnesses and we will see how the case develops further, once we get some answers come from UNMIK and the International Red Cross,” said Vekaric.

“Organ trafficking inquiry under way”

While not giving away details of the investigation, Vekarić said that all the signs pointed to the possibility of an international organized crime ring involving many officials on the current Albanian political scene.

The spokesman added that there were indications that, as former Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte mentioned in her book, certain former UNMIK officials had also been seriously involved in all these goings-on.

“It is known from reliable sources that UNMIK conducted an investigation into missing Serbs, that it was called off very abruptly, and that no-one knows the exact findings of the investigation. The fact that many charges have been pressed for organ trafficking by the Albanians themselves leads us to believe that we are talking about international organized crime here. This must now be confirmed,” Vekarić said.

He said that the Hague Tribunal had transferred information gathered by Hague investigators in the case to the prosecutor’s office in Belgrade.

Vekarić said that he expected an official response from UNMIK on whether the probe into the missing Kosovo Serbs had ever been carried out, or if the civil administration had halted the investigation.

“Our prosecution expects an answer from the International Red Cross as well, regarding the existence of concentration camps in Albania. The Albanian Prosecutor’s Office can shed light on what was happening in the north of Albania, on whether there was a yellow house in which operations were reportedly conducted, provided it is willing to carry out a serious inquiry,” the spokesman stressed.

Moreover, he denied that the authorities in Serbia had had any knowledge of the matter prior to publication of Del Ponte’s book, or indeed, had had any indication that human organs were being trafficked.

Vekarić claims that none of the 200 witnesses interviewed in investigations into crimes committed by the KLA had ever mentioned such atrocities prior to the publication of the book.

He said that the witnesses had talked about other crimes, including kidnapping, rape, torture, execution and deportation, but that organ trafficking was a different matter.

“We have already questioned 12 witnesses and we will see how the case develops further, once we get some answers come from UNMIK and the International Red Cross,” said Vekarić.