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By:
Ardit Kika
- February 13, 2024 20:20 AM
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In addition to the prison sentence, Latif also received a fine of 5.000 euros, as well as being banned from exercising public functions for a period of three years. Accused together with the former chief was also the former director of Administration and Finance of the KPM, Arben Bilalli, but he pleaded guilty two years ago.
The Basic Court in Pristina has found the former head of the Independent Media Commission, Luan Latifi, guilty of accepting bribes.
Latif was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison and a 5.000 euro fine
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute"He judges the defendant; imprisonment for a term of two years, which sentence will be executed after the finality of this judgment. The time spent in detention and house arrest is counted in the sentence imposed; as well as a prison sentence in the amount of 5000 euros, which sentence he is obliged to pay within 30 days after the finality of this judgment. If the fine cannot be carried out in accordance with article 43 paragraph 3 of the KPRK, it is replaced by a prison sentence, being calculated at 20 euros for one day of imprisonment", read the verdict, the chairman of the court, Alban Ajvazi.
The court also imposed additional punishment on Latif, which is related to not exercising the functions in the administration.
"The court, acting on the basis of articles 59 and 63 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, imposes on the defendant an additional punishment of the prohibition of the exercise of public function in public administration or public services for a period of three years after the full force of this judgment and the serving of the sentence ", said Ajvazi.
Latif's co-accused, Arben Bilalli, former head of the KPM's Finance Administration, was sentenced to 140 days in prison and a 12 euro fine in July 2022, after pleading guilty.
In the indictment of the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Prishtina, filed in September 2021, it is said that the defendants demanded a bribe of 20.000 euros from the "Telkos" cable company, after they had warned that they would fine him, since he had extended to Prizren, and he did not declare this did not even pay the KPM.
"Elhami Haziri through his mobile phone on the Whatsapp social network writes to the defendant Luan Latifi that 'he is only releasing 10', so that, after the money that they asked for a bribe has been agreed upon, on 29.06.2021, after the hour, 21, the aforementioned defendants always in coordination with each other, the defendant Arben Bilalli, after the telephone conversation he had with the injured Elhami, met in the parking lot of the 'Garden' restaurant in Gjilan in the BMW-X5 car owned by the defendant Arben Bilalli, the injured Elhami, before giving him the sum of 8.000 euros, asks the defendant Arben to contact the defendant Luan Latifi on the phone to make sure that Luan has found out that the money has been given. Then they both get out of the car and at the entrance of the restaurant in the presence of the injured Elhami, the defendant Arben Bilalli calls the defendant Luan Latifi on the WhatsApp social network saying, "I did work and now I'm walking", the indictment states.
The investigation of the Basic Prosecutor's Office of Pristina was carried out with covert measures, with the involvement of the Directorate for Economic Crimes of the Police. As described in the indictment, after Elhami Haziri gave the money to Arben Bilal, he was under police surveillance on June 26, 2021.
The bribe of 8.000 euros was found in Bilalli's envelope that same day after he was stopped by the police on the way from Gjilan to Pristina. As written in the indictment, Bilalli has been in regular communication with Latif through the Whatsapp application.
"Then they returned to the defendant Arben's car and, implementing secret measures in full and always under the surveillance of the Police, the defendant Arben Bilalli in his car, took a bribe of 8000 euros from the victim, which had been set in an envelope and left for Pristina, returning, the defendant Arben continued the communication on WhatsApp with the defendant Luan and on the way to Pristina he was stopped by the Police, in which case the amount of money was found in the car of the defendant Arben of 8000 eruosh, which were seized by police investigators", the indictment reads.
The court directed the "Telkos" company, damaged in this court process, to request compensation for the damage through the civil procedure.