University of Zagreb Target of Corruption Raid
In Croatia, an investigation has begun into 67 suspects for corruption at the University of Zagreb. The suspects were among those rounded up in Opeartion “Indeks,” which was the country's largest anti-corruption raid targeting crooked professors and administrators at the University's Faculty of Traffic Sciences and Faculty of Economics.
The suspects are charged with giving and receiving bribes, abuse of authority, and conspiring to commit criminal acts.
Among the 67 suspects, 27 who are facing more serious charges will be held in custody for a month, said the spokesperson for Zagreb County Court.
Child Trafficking is Aim of Investigations
In a new program funded by the European Commission, Romanian Police will work with Scotland Yard to fight child trafficking in the UK. The joint effort will include officials from the UK Border Agency and UK Human Trafficking Centre, and will be based in Westminster. Westminster has seen the most criminal activity involving children exploited by Roma gangs, which use them to beg and pickpocket.
Crime tied to Romanians in Britain has increased by 700 percent since Romania joined the EU in January of last year.
Bulgarian Journalist Assaulted
Journalists from Bulgaria gathered in Sofia on Thursday to protest the recent assault of a news editor whose online news site reported on ties between government officials and organized crime.
The journalists demanded stricter measures against organized crime. Ognyan Stefanov, editor-in-chief of the online news site frognews.bg, was attacked by four men as he left a restaurant in Sofia on Monday. He is currently recovering from serious head injuries, broken legs and spinal trauma.
Bulgarian Parliament Thursday approved a declaration condemning “this brutal assault” and “all attacks on freedom of speech.”
Italy Calls Army to Fight Camorra
Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni announced Tuesday that 500 soldiers would be deployed to the southern province of Caserta to fight the Camorra, the organized criminal group that controls Naples and its surroundings. The soldiers will join 400 police and carabinieri already sent to the region to assist local law enforcement.
The deployments come after the killings of six African immigrants last Thursday in Castelvolturno, near Naples, sparked riots by immigrants in the area.
"The Camorra has declared a civil war on the state, which must respond firmly and regain control of the region," Maroni said in televised remarks to the Italian senate.
The killings, which police say were drug-related, are believed to be the work of the powerful Casalesi Camorra clan. Among the victims, three were from Ghana, two from Liberia and one from Togo.
The African immigrant community in Castelvolturno rioted in response to the murders, smashing windows and overturning cars. Rioters accused the police and Camorra of racism for assuming the victims were drug dealers.
Local prosecutors suspect the shooting was the result of a dispute over drug turf. West Africa has become a common transit point for cocaine smuggling, and criminals from the region have played an increased role in its traffic in Europe.
The shootings seem to have been a grim message to African drug dealers, said Corrado Lembo, chief prosecutor in the Caserta area, in an interview Tuesday.
On Monday police arrested a suspect in the killings with ties to Calesi clan, 29 year-old Cesarno. Police are currently seeking two fugitives.
The Casalesi clan's criminal activities were the subject of the book Gomorra, by Italian investigative journalist Roberto Saviano. A film adaptation of the book won second prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year and was chosen on Wednesday by the Italian cinema association to be the country's entry for best foreign film at next year's Oscars.
Beth Kampschror is away. The blog will continue, compiled by Sarajevo-based Michael Mehen.
University of Zagreb Target of Raid
Published: 29 September 2008
By Michael
