Del Ponte destroyed evidence, chief prosecutor claims

Valuable evidence about removal of organs of Serbs captured in Kosovo was destroyed during Carla Del Ponte’s term, Serge Brammertz’s office says. The case concerns war crimes committed in Kosovo and northern Albania in 1999 and 2000, when Serb and other civilians are believed to have been kidnapped for their body parts by ethnic Albanian KLA. Del Ponte destroyed evidence, chief prosecutor claims The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor’s office added that the pieces of evidence were destroyed with approval of Del Ponte’s prosecution. The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor’s office added that the pieces of evidence were destroyed with approval of Del Ponte’s prosecution. Del Ponte said earlier that NATO and UNMIK had thwarted the organ trafficking investigation and that she knew who had made the decision to destroy the evidence of the monstrous crimes. She explained that she had been in constant contact with Brammertz but did not want to reveal the identity of the person who had ordered it because it “is not fair”. She added that there was a lack of political will to fully investigate the “Yellow house” case. When asked about the fact that she had an insight into the UNMIK confidential report on crimes in the Yellow house back in 2004 but the investigation was suspended, Del Ponte said that the prosecution was not able to continue the probe due to numerous obstacles. “NATO and UNMIK did not allow us to see important files, while Albania did not let us enter its territory and inspect graves,” she noted. Del Ponte also stressed that it was a mistake to destroy the evidence found in a location in northern Albania known as the Yellow House. “That was done without consulting me, even without discussing the issue with me. I was very surprised when I found out from the media that the evidence had been destroyed. But of course that I don’t feel responsible for it because I did not have the authority to conduct the investigation,” the former chief prosecutor pointed out. Brammertz’s office, however, claims that some pieces of evidence were destroyed in 2005 when Del Ponte was the chief prosecutor, that she knew about it and that the decision was made by then members of the prosecution. “Prosecutor Brammertz agrees that this was not a good decision. However, we cannot speak publicly about the internal decision making procedure in the prosecution,” Brammertz’s office released. Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said that his office had asked the Hague investigator why the evidence had been destroyed and that they said that “the evidence, along with material evidence from Srebrenica, was destroyed as a part of a regular procedure”. UNMIK Spokesman Olivier Salgado said that UNMIK had fully cooperated with the Hague Tribunal and submitted all the available evidence and information to the court. “The Tribunal is free to investigate all the issues it is in charge of. There is no reason to believe that any UNMIK official has obstructed any investigation,” Salgado pointed out. Serge Brammertz (FoNet, file) Press

Del Ponte destroyed evidence, chief prosecutor claims

The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor’s office added that the pieces of evidence were destroyed with approval of Del Ponte’s prosecution.

The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor’s office added that the pieces of evidence were destroyed with approval of Del Ponte’s prosecution.

Del Ponte said earlier that NATO and UNMIK had thwarted the organ trafficking investigation and that she knew who had made the decision to destroy the evidence of the monstrous crimes. She explained that she had been in constant contact with Brammertz but did not want to reveal the identity of the person who had ordered it because it “is not fair”.

She added that there was a lack of political will to fully investigate the “Yellow house” case.

When asked about the fact that she had an insight into the UNMIK confidential report on crimes in the Yellow house back in 2004 but the investigation was suspended, Del Ponte said that the prosecution was not able to continue the probe due to numerous obstacles.

“NATO and UNMIK did not allow us to see important files, while Albania did not let us enter its territory and inspect graves,” she noted.

Del Ponte also stressed that it was a mistake to destroy the evidence found in a location in northern Albania known as the Yellow House.

“That was done without consulting me, even without discussing the issue with me. I was very surprised when I found out from the media that the evidence had been destroyed. But of course that I don’t feel responsible for it because I did not have the authority to conduct the investigation,” the former chief prosecutor pointed out.

Brammertz’s office, however, claims that some pieces of evidence were destroyed in 2005 when Del Ponte was the chief prosecutor, that she knew about it and that the decision was made by then members of the prosecution.

“Prosecutor Brammertz agrees that this was not a good decision. However, we cannot speak publicly about the internal decision making procedure in the prosecution,” Brammertz’s office released.

Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević said that his office had asked the Hague investigator why the evidence had been destroyed and that they said that “the evidence, along with material evidence from Srebrenica, was destroyed as a part of a regular procedure”.

UNMIK Spokesman Olivier Salgado said that UNMIK had fully cooperated with the Hague Tribunal and submitted all the available evidence and information to the court.

“The Tribunal is free to investigate all the issues it is in charge of. There is no reason to believe that any UNMIK official has obstructed any investigation,” Salgado pointed out.