23 May 2011

On 23 May, a mixed panel of local and EULEX judges at Pristina District Court sentenced Z.S and B.H. to 4 years imprisonment, M.N. to 2 years imprisonment and H.G. to 18 months imprisonment for misuse of economic authorisations. The same panel sentenced O.I. to 5 years imprisonment for misuse of economic authorisations and entering into harmful contracts.

The same panel sentenced H.S., B.H. and M.K. to four and half years, 2 years and three and half years imprisonment respectively, for fraud.

In the case of defendants B.H. and M.N the panel decided to render a suspended sentence whereby they will serve out their sentence if they breach the terms of their probation.

The indictment was filed on 15 December 2006 after the Central Bank of Kosovo uncovered irregularities in the Credit Bank of Pristina (CBP) which was subsequently closed on 10 March 2006. Four of the defendents were part of the CBP manageing board and 3 were from outside companies. The indictment was amended on 18 April 2007. After Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office took over the case in 2009, lead by a EULEX and a local prosecutor, the main trial started on 2 March 2010 and ended today.