EULEX "fully capable of protecting witnesses"

EULEX is fully capable of protecting witnesses and completing the investigation into the allegations published in the report of CoE Rapporteur Dick Marty. This is according to EULEX Deputy Head Andy Sparkes who spoke for the Frankfurt-based Serbian language daily. EULEX "fully capable of protecting witnesses" Sparkes added that the EU mission in Kosovo will make sure that the case involving five Serbs arrested in Gazimestan on June 28 be resolved in a just manner. EULEX is capable of protecting witnesses, even those that would give testimonies against very powerful people, Sparkes said. Sparkes added that EULEX had few contacts with Marty and his team, and it is yet to determine an adequate way in which it will deal with the obtained data, and thus prove that it is totally independent from the Kosovo authorities. "I firmly believe in our witness protection unit, which is comprehensive and very expensive. I cannot reveal further details, but we are certain that we can protect witnesses. In this case, there will be no cooperation with the Kosovo authorities," he added. "We know that in the new circumstances we are capable of protecting witnesses, even those that would give testimonies against very powerful people," the EULEX deputy head said. "If the evidence would lead to Kosovo's top officials, those people would be held accountable. No one is above the law," he said, adding that there is an arrest warrant for Fatmir Limaj, but EULEX is waiting for the issue of immunity to be solved. Limaj - a former member of the ethnic Albanian KLA - "is quite an important figure, and there is no doubt that he will be tried", the EULEX deputy head asserted. The Marty report named leaders of the KLA as responsible for kidnapping Serb civilians in the province in 1999 and 2000, and removing their body parts to be sold in the black market. Serbia wants the investigation to be carried out by the UN, but western countries at the UN Security Council oppose this. Asked if Kosovo police, KPS, overstepped their jurisdiction as regards the arrest of five Serbs in Gazimestan, Sparkes said that EULEX was present in Gazimestan, and is following this case closely. "We want to make sure that the case involving five Serbs arrested in Gazimestan be resolved in a just manner," Sparkes underlined.

EULEX "fully capable of protecting witnesses"

Sparkes added that the EU mission in Kosovo will make sure that the case involving five Serbs arrested in Gazimestan on June 28 be resolved in a just manner.

EULEX is capable of protecting witnesses, even those that would give testimonies against very powerful people, Sparkes said.

Sparkes added that EULEX had few contacts with Marty and his team, and it is yet to determine an adequate way in which it will deal with the obtained data, and thus prove that it is totally independent from the Kosovo authorities.

"I firmly believe in our witness protection unit, which is comprehensive and very expensive. I cannot reveal further details, but we are certain that we can protect witnesses. In this case, there will be no cooperation with the Kosovo authorities," he added.

"We know that in the new circumstances we are capable of protecting witnesses, even those that would give testimonies against very powerful people," the EULEX deputy head said.

"If the evidence would lead to Kosovo's top officials, those people would be held accountable. No one is above the law," he said, adding that there is an arrest warrant for Fatmir Limaj, but EULEX is waiting for the issue of immunity to be solved.

Limaj - a former member of the ethnic Albanian KLA - "is quite an important figure, and there is no doubt that he will be tried", the EULEX deputy head asserted.

The Marty report named leaders of the KLA as responsible for kidnapping Serb civilians in the province in 1999 and 2000, and removing their body parts to be sold in the black market.

Serbia wants the investigation to be carried out by the UN, but western countries at the UN Security Council oppose this.

Asked if Kosovo police, KPS, overstepped their jurisdiction as regards the arrest of five Serbs in Gazimestan, Sparkes said that EULEX was present in Gazimestan, and is following this case closely.

"We want to make sure that the case involving five Serbs arrested in Gazimestan be resolved in a just manner," Sparkes underlined.