KPS reveal ethnicity of suspect in cemetery desecration

PRISTINA The Kosovo police (KPS) on Wednesday said they had a man in custody on suspicion that he "took part" in destroying dozens of tombstones in a Serb cemetery. They named him as 48-year-old M. Buzuka, and said his ethnicity was Ashkali. KPS reveal ethnicity of suspect in cemetery desecration According to the KPS, the reason 56 gravestones in Kosovo Polje were either damaged or destroyed was "purely material": "Early results of the investigation show that the detainee was not acting out of ethnic or religious motives and that his reasons were those connected to purely material gains, which is why the police in Kosovo Polje launched an investigation for aggravated theft." Earlier in the week, the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija called for the perpetrators to be found and punished. A statement from the office also accused the KPS of "crude abuse" when they initially announced that the incident happened in the village of Makarabe - where tombstones on Serb graves had been destroyed "a long time ago". The desecration of the Orthodox cemetery in Kosovo Polje was strongly condemned by UNMIK and OSCE mission in Kosovo in their separate statements. Tanjug

KPS reveal ethnicity of suspect in cemetery desecration

According to the KPS, the reason 56 gravestones in Kosovo Polje were either damaged or destroyed was "purely material":

"Early results of the investigation show that the detainee was not acting out of ethnic or religious motives and that his reasons were those connected to purely material gains, which is why the police in Kosovo Polje launched an investigation for aggravated theft."

Earlier in the week, the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija called for the perpetrators to be found and punished.

A statement from the office also accused the KPS of "crude abuse" when they initially announced that the incident happened in the village of Makarabe - where tombstones on Serb graves had been destroyed "a long time ago".

The desecration of the Orthodox cemetery in Kosovo Polje was strongly condemned by UNMIK and OSCE mission in Kosovo in their separate statements.