08 May 2012

A mixed panel of judges, presided over by a EULEX judge at the Supreme Court, today upheld, in the main, the guilty verdict against the Mayor of Kaçanik/Kačanik X.Z.

On 21 April 2011, the District Court of Pristina found X.Z. guilty of committing the offence of extortion and unlawful possession of weapons. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and given a 1,500 Euro fine for the charge of unlawful possession of weapons.

The appeal of the Defence Counsel was partially granted, allowing for the time period spent in detention to be credited towards the pronounced punishment of imprisonment

The appeals of the Defence Counsels filed on behalf of the other defendants A.K., B.H. and N.C. against the mentioned judgement were rejected.

In the original court case, the three other defendants A.K., B.H. and N.C. were found guilty of committing the offence of extortion. A.K. was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and given a 1,500 Euro fine for the charge of unlawful possession of weapons. B.H. was sentenced to one year and two months imprisonment, and N.C. was sentenced to one year and two months imprisonment.