Minister welcomes Medicus case developments

Kosovo Minister Goran Bogdanovic says that organ trafficking charges brought against private Pristina clinic Medicus were "a good message to Kosovo Serbs". According to him, the message was that the EU mission in the province, EULEX, "would do everything to prosecute such crimes". Minister welcomes Medicus case developments Kidnapped Serb civilians are believed to have been the victims of organ harvesting organized by the ethnic Albanian KLA in 1999 and 2000. An EULEX prosecutor with the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office brought charges June 10 against two people in connection with the Medicus case. Charges were brought against Turk Yusuf Sonmez for human trafficking, organized crime and illegal medical procedures, while Israeli Moshe Harel was charged with human trafficking and organized crime. Asked about the EU proposal for a seven person team that would investigate the allegations made in the report of Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty, Bogdanovic said that an investigation should start as soon as possible and the people responsible should be brought to justice. But he added that the proposal "does not answer the question about how the investigative bodies will operate, because EULEX has neither the mandate nor the jurisdiction to work in Albania". It is believed that the kidnapped victims were taken to that country, where their body parts were removed to be sold in the black market. FoNet news agency writes that the EU appointment of prosecutors and judges has already been described as "a compromise" between Serbia's insistence to have the probe conducted under the UN umbrella, "and EULEX, which claimed that this was their jurisdiction". "We have asked for the UN to hold a key role, (CoE Rapporteur) Dick Marty also asked for this, because there is no trust in EULEX in Kosovo and Metohija, there is no possibility that EULEX can provide in order to arrive at the real truth," Bogdanovic was quoted as saying. And although reports mentioned that a part of the EU team that is expected to be set up will be working in Brussels, while another will be in Pristina, the minister today said it was "good that the investigative organs will be stationed in Brussels, because of the pressure exerted on EULEX by ethnic Albanian politicians". Bogdanovic also stated that in the past EULEX provided unclear answers when asked whether they were ready to protect witnesses. But, the minister concluded, neither Serbs nor ethnic Albanians "perceive the mission as being capable of protecting witnesses". Goran Bogdanovic (FoNet, file)

Minister welcomes Medicus case developments

Kidnapped Serb civilians are believed to have been the victims of organ harvesting organized by the ethnic Albanian KLA in 1999 and 2000.

An EULEX prosecutor with the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office brought charges June 10 against two people in connection with the Medicus case.

Charges were brought against Turk Yusuf Sonmez for human trafficking, organized crime and illegal medical procedures, while Israeli Moshe Harel was charged with human trafficking and organized crime.

Asked about the EU proposal for a seven person team that would investigate the allegations made in the report of Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty, Bogdanović said that an investigation should start as soon as possible and the people responsible should be brought to justice.

But he added that the proposal "does not answer the question about how the investigative bodies will operate, because EULEX has neither the mandate nor the jurisdiction to work in Albania".

It is believed that the kidnapped victims were taken to that country, where their body parts were removed to be sold in the black market.

FoNet news agency writes that the EU appointment of prosecutors and judges has already been described as "a compromise" between Serbia's insistence to have the probe conducted under the UN umbrella, "and EULEX, which claimed that this was their jurisdiction".

"We have asked for the UN to hold a key role, (CoE Rapporteur) Dick Marty also asked for this, because there is no trust in EULEX in Kosovo and Metohija, there is no possibility that EULEX can provide in order to arrive at the real truth," Bogdanović was quoted as saying.

And although reports mentioned that a part of the EU team that is expected to be set up will be working in Brussels, while another will be in Priština, the minister today said it was "good that the investigative organs will be stationed in Brussels, because of the pressure exerted on EULEX by ethnic Albanian politicians".

Bogdanović also stated that in the past EULEX provided unclear answers when asked whether they were ready to protect witnesses.

But, the minister concluded, neither Serbs nor ethnic Albanians "perceive the mission as being capable of protecting witnesses".