The Kosovo Special Prosecution Office has filed an indictment against the acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, Irfan Lipovica, Hafiz Gara and Ridvan Muharremi in connection with the case of contracting state reserves of goods during 2022.
They are accused of having damaged the state budget by around 3 million euros.The Special Prosecution Office has said that RH, IL and HG are accused of having, during the months of February - March 2022, in complicity, abused their official duties with the aim of material benefit for other persons and causing damage to the budget of the Republic of Kosovo.
"Defendants RH, IL and HG are also accused of having, without authorization, disclosed official secrets. Although they were aware that the location of state reserves constitutes a state secret, according to the Law on State Reserves of Goods, they knowingly made this information available to defendant RM," the announcement states.
Meanwhile, the defendant RM is accused of having created conditions for others to commit the criminal offense, by directly mediating and negotiating, as well as proposing and recommending the selection of economic operators on behalf of state reserves.
Minister Hajdari announced through a Facebook post that she has been informed by her lawyer about the submission of the indictment to the Basic Court of Pristina.
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How the nearly 3 million euro damage in the state reserves case went
"I was just notified by my lawyer about the submission of the indictment by the Special Prosecution Office to the Basic Court in Pristina, regarding the issue of contracting state reserves, a very important process for all of us," Hajdari wrote.
She said she will make a more detailed statement to the media after receiving the full indictment document.
Hajdari defended her work during the period of state reserve management, calling it the "most difficult time" for the country, when the supply of basic products had to be ensured.
"I feel proud of the work I have done as Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, in the most difficult time - ensuring the state reserve of goods, with essential products for life, at a time when we were vulnerable, during the months of February and March 2022," she further wrote.
Hajdari was interviewed about the state reserves case in April 2024 and July 2025, but in both cases he was defended in silence.
The acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has also been invited as a witness in this case, but so far he has refused to go to the Special Prosecution Office, but has insisted on giving testimony at the Prime Minister's Office.
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Indictment against former minister Rozeta Hajdari confirmed
In 2023, Lipovica, Gara and Muharremi were arrested in the state reserves case. Lipovica and Gara were also employees of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MINT).
Former Deputy Secretary of MINT, Irfan Lipovica, and the Director of the State Reserves Department at MINT, Hafiz Gara, are accused of committing the criminal offenses of "Abuse of official position or authority" and "Disclosure of official secret". Meanwhile, businessman Ridvan Muharremi, known as "Ridi", is accused by the SPRK of committing the criminal offense of "Assistance in the commission of the criminal offense of abuse of official position or authority".
Raids were carried out at MINT in 2023. The raids and arrests at MINT occurred after the publication of several audio recordings by the Nacionale portal, where officials from this ministry claim that oil contracted and paid for in Poland and a quantity of wheat purchased in Turkey for Kosovo's state reserves never arrived.
The government has said that payments for state reserves were made in accordance with the law.
According to the Law on state reserves, state reserves of goods are created to intervene operatively for the protection of the population, the economy in case of market disorder, the protection of the country in situations of state of emergency, state of civil emergency and many other similar cases. .
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The corruption trial against Hajdari and others in the "State Reserves" case begins on December 10th
State reserves of goods are provided based on the Medium-Term Strategic Plan, and are administered by the Department of State Reserves of Goods, within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Entrepreneurship.
State reserves are considered a state secret.
How the nearly 3 million euro damage in the state reserves case went
The Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo (SPRK), in the indictment filed against the acting minister Rozeta Hajdari, former deputy secretary Irfan Lipovica, the director of the Department of State Reserves in this Ministry, Hafiz Gara, and businessman Ridvan Muharremi, has estimated that the damage caused to the Kosovo budget in the "State Reserves" case is close to 3 million euros.
“Oath for Justice” has secured the indictment filed by special prosecutors, Valdet Gashi and Milot Krasniqi, at the Special Department of the Basic Court in Pristina. According to the indictment filed, the budget has been damaged in the amount of 2,912,134.78 euros.
Based on the SPRK indictment, Rozeta Hajdari in her capacity as Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Irfan Lipovica as Deputy Secretary and Hafiz Gara in the position of Director of the Department of State Reserves, in violation of the Law on Public Procurement, avoiding the competition process, through a negotiation procedure, had negotiated and then signed a contract with the Turkish company "Yafe Turizm Indaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi" headquartered in Bursa, Turkey, for the purchase of 10 thousand tons of wheat at a price of 4,834,778.00 euros.
However, it states that the price for purchasing wheat was contracted 193.48 euros higher than the average market price.
They are accused of avoiding the open procurement procedure in the context of the state reserve goods procedure in 2022, specifically wheat, oil and sugar, within the framework of the budgetary funds allocated by the Government in the amount of 10.000.000 euros.
After concluding the contract with the Turkish operator on March 15, 2022, it is said that an annex/contract was signed with the same operator on March 29, 2022 for the costs of transporting wheat in the quantity specified in the basic contract from Turkey to the Port of Durres in the amount of 295.000 euros.
Meanwhile, according to the indictment, a contract was signed with the company EO "Xanto" SP. ZO.O" based in Gdyna, Poland, for the purchase of oil in the amount of 200.000 liters and sugar in the amount of 120.000 kg, with a total price of 276.000 euros.
According to the indictment, even though the contracted payment was made in violation of the 2022 Budget Law, 100% in advance from MINT, the Turkish company did not fulfill its obligation regarding wheat, bringing 58.98 tons of wheat less than specified in the contract, while the Polish company did not bring the oil and sugar products at all according to the contract, thus causing significant damage to the state budget.
According to the indictment, Gara, in coordination with Lipovica and Hajdari, with the aim of limiting competition and favoring economic operators and concealing legal violations in this activity, requested Lipovica via e-mail under the pretext of accelerating the procedures for the supply of goods to the Department of State Reserves, to submit a request to the Government for exemption from the procurement procedures for the supply of state reserve products, which they and Hajdari submitted by e-mail to the Government on February 25, 2022, and that the request was approved the next day by the Government, all of this in violation of the Law on State Reserves, classifying the purchase of reserve products as secret, despite the fact that the procurement activity had to be carried out through open procedures and is not considered a state secret under the Law.
The price contracted with the Turkish company for 1 ton of wheat, according to the indictment, was 483.48 euros, while the average market price based on Kosovo Customs import data in the same month - March 2022 - was 290 euros.
"Referring to the difference between the contracted price of wheat of 483.48 euros per ton and the average market price for March, which was 290 euros per ton, it results that the price for one ton of wheat was contracted for 193.48 euros more than the average market price in Kosovo, and that the difference in price in relation to 10 thousand tons of wheat is 1,934,800.00 euros, which is considered damage caused at this point," the indictment states.
However, it is further stated that although the contract provided for 10 thousand tons of wheat and was paid 100% in advance, the company is suspected of having brought 58.98 tons of wheat less. Consequently, causing damage to the budget of 28,515.65 euros.
Meanwhile, Hajdari is said to have signed the contract with the Turkish company without publishing the public announcement, on March 15, 2022, despite the fact that he had been warned by the director of the Legal Department that the purchase of reserves through a negotiated procedure had no legal basis.
According to the indictment, the contract with the Turkish company for the purchase of wheat, signed on March 15, 2022, in the amount of 4 million 834 thousand 778 euros, was made based on Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) commercial terms, which means that the contract price, in addition to the purchase of the product, covers all transportation costs from the warehouse to the final destination, including insurance of the goods during transport, loading and unloading of the goods, customs and other administrative costs.
However, this turns out not to have happened, according to the SPRK.
Hajdari is accused of acting in violation of the amendment/supplementation of the Law on Public Procurement, intentionally avoiding the essential conditions for ensuring the execution of contracts and in violation of the Law on Budget, 100% advance payments were made, while MINT received 59.98 tons of wheat less than the contracted and paid quantity from the Turkish company, and did not receive the quantity of oil and sugar at all from the Polish company. With these actions, two EOs were favored and material benefit was provided and avoidance of responsibility was enabled, while at the same time great damage was caused to the state budget.
Nine days after signing the contract for the purchase of wheat, the indictment states that MINT had signed an annex-contract with the Turkish company for transportation costs in the amount of 295 thousand euros, despite the fact that the basic contract also included transportation costs.
Subsequently, it is said that Lipovica, in coordination with Hajdari and Gara, had entered into a contract with another company, EO "Railtrans" LLC, on April 15, 2022, for transport and forwarding services from Durrës to the reserve depot in Kosovo, in the amount of 377,419.13 euros.
"Referring to the fact that beyond the rules of the Basic Contract, 2 (two) contracts were concluded for the transport of wheat, initially an Annex-contract worth 295,000 euros and then another contract worth 377,419.13 euros, as in the factual descriptions of the indictment, it follows that at this point damage in the amount of 672,419.13 euros was caused," the indictment filed by the SPRK states.
The indictment further states that defendants Hajdari, Lipovica and Gara also negotiated and signed a contract with the company "Xanto SP. ZO. O" based in Gdynia, Poland, for the purchase of 200 thousand liters of oil and 120 thousand kilograms of sugar. However, despite the payment made, the goods were never received.
"Referring to the fact that upon concluding the contract for the purchase of oil and sugar as in the factual descriptions of the indictment, on the one hand, a 100% advance payment was made in the amount of 276,400 euros, while on the other hand, the goods were never delivered to Kosovo, from which it follows that at this point damage in the amount of 276,400.00 euros was caused," the indictment states.
Payments to companies were made 100 percent in advance, according to the Special Prosecution Office, despite the fact that this is only done in cases where the goods are related to defense and security, i.e. equipment for military needs.
With these actions, the same individuals are accused of causing damage to the Kosovo budget in the total amount of 2 million, 912 thousand, 134 euros and 13 cents.
For all these actions, Minister Rozeta Hajdari, Deputy Secretary Irfan Lipovica and the Director of the Department for State Reserves, Hafiz Gara, are being accused of having committed the criminal offense of "Abuse of official position or authority" under Article 414, paragraph 2, in conjunction with paragraph 1 and Article 31 of the Criminal Code.
The same individuals are also accused of the criminal offense of "Disclosure of official secrets", as according to the indictment, businessman Ridvan Muharremi, known as "Ridi", is also accused of having been part of the negotiation process.
Gara is accused of communicating a state secret to Muharrem, by sending him an e-mail with the program for the supply of state reserve goods for 2022, which described the details of the type of product, quantity and monetary value as part of the Annual Strategic Plan for state reserve goods, endangering the public interest and the country's strategic supply of state reserves.
With this, Gara is accused of having committed the criminal offense of "Disclosure of official secret" under Article 426, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.
Meanwhile, together with Hajdari and Lipovica, Gara are charged with revealing official secrets by providing Muharrem with information about the location of the storage of wheat as a state reserve commodity. Muharrem initially informed the group, which included the other three defendants, via WhatsApp that he had secured an EO for the storage of wheat, sending them the data.
They are hereby accused of having co-perpetrated the criminal offense of "Disclosure of official secrets" under Article 426, paragraph 1, in conjunction with Article 31 of the Criminal Code.
An additional punishment has also been proposed for Hajdari, Lipovica and Gara - compensation for damage to the state budget.
On the other hand, businessman Muharremi is being accused by the SPRK of committing the criminal offense "Assisting in the commission of the criminal offense of abuse of official position or authority." /Oath for Justice
Bajrami: Surprised that Albin Kurti is not included in the indictment for state reserves
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Photo: Driton Pacharada
Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) MP Hykmete Bajrami has reacted after the indictment was filed against the acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, over the issue of state reserves, expressing her surprise that the indictment did not include the acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
In a Facebook post, Bajrami accused Kurti of, as she said, secret decisions and dubious contracts related to the supply and management of strategic goods.
"Albini has decided to make secret purchases of flour and oil, Albini has allowed over 3000 secret tenders to be signed, worth 240 million euros, Albini has allowed the energy mafia and around 800 million euros in electricity imports, therefore I and all those who love this Republic have problems with Albin Kurti!", wrote Bajrami.
She added that she is surprised that Kurti does not appear in the indictment, alluding to political responsibility for decisions that, according to her, were made with his approval.
"I was surprised that he was not part of the indictment!", Bajrami emphasized.
Indictment against Minister Hajdari, Çitaku: Nothing happened without Albin Kurti's approval
After the Special Prosecution filed an indictment against the acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, regarding state reserves, the general secretary of the PDK, Vlora Çitaku, has reacted.
She stated that everything happened with the approval of the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.
"In fact, Rozeta, like all her colleagues in the Kurti 2 cabinet, has not taken a single step without the knowledge and approval of the AK. It was clear to everyone that the AK did not have ministers with a full mandate and decision-making authority. There were assistants, implementers of his orders," Çitaku wrote on Facebook.
Haxhiu: The indictment against Hajdari is politically motivated
Photo: Archive
Photo: Driton Pacharada
VV MP, Albulena Haxhiu, said that the investigations against Acting Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, "are influenced", while the indictment for state reserves is "politically motivated".
According to Haxhiu, this is a tendency to tarnish the image.
"This indictment is politically motivated, without any real basis and clearly intentional. The minister has done everything in her power to protect the country's interest and to ensure that Kosovo has state reserves, unlike previous governments, which had left the country without reserves. It is clear that there is a tendency to tarnish her image," Haxhiu wrote.
