"The government must undertake steps in the areas of accountability, organized crime," Feith said. "It must also strengthen links between civic and political life and ensure the use of public and international donor funds in a responsible and transparent manner."
Organized crime and corruption together are probably the number-one problems Kosovo faces, one year since it declared independence from
Kosovar Albanians are also well-known throughout the region for their loyalty to families and clans, and their silence – an ideal population base in which organized crime can operate.
Two months ago, the European Union (EU) started deploying its rule of law mission to Kosovo. Its 3,000 staff will oversee Kosovo’s police, the justice system and customs. While that mission has its own problems – Serb opposition has meant the EU mission hasn’t deployed to the Serb-dominated north of Kosovo, and the deployment was months behind schedule – it will have the added problem of having to play the same hand of cards that the UN had with organized crime. The EU will still need the strongmen (so that this EU foreign policy adventure doesn’t end in violent disaster), and the very presence of the EU will mean that local police and prosecutors won’t have to lift a finger. And the Albanians’ omerta is not going anywhere, no matter who is in charge of these missions.
A recent local story doesn’t bode well for the EU’s mission, called EULEX. According to the story, EU prosecutors and judges have started a few cases, but even nearly two months after the deployment began, the case files that the UN mission was working on have not all been turned over to the EU mission. And the EU shows a disturbing lack of interest in taking cases from western Kosovo’s crime hub, the town of
The chief prosecutor in Peja District Court Flamur Kelmendi explained that EULEX officials from this prosecution did not take any files but instead only showed interest. He stated that they want to remain informed of the process.
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Kristina Herodes from the information office says that they still have not finalized the transfer process of the cases from UNMIK to EULEX.
Bulgarian Claims Kickback Demanded
The same week that the EU’s executive arm warned Bulgaria that it needed to do more to root out corruption, the head of a pharmaceutical distribution company claimed that the deputy health minister had demanded monthly kickbacks totaling €2.8 million.
Tihomir Kamenov founded the company, Commercial League, in 1991. He said that deputy health care minister Emil Raynov demanded the cash kickbacks. A director of a company subsidiary in
FBI: New face of OC Eurasian
The face of organized crime, says the FBI, is no longer the Lucky Lucianos and John Gottis of days of yore. Today’s criminals are more likely to be named Vyacheslav Ivankov or Joon Yang. Eurasian and Asian groups that have moved onto the scene are transnational, says the Bureau.
This isn’t new, but perhaps it’s in keeping with a shift in the FBI’s focus. The agency is apparently beefing up its white-collar crime sections – neglected in favor of fighting international terrorism after the attacks in the
Sports Groups Want Help from Bookies?
Pro sports organizations, increasingly annoyed at having to pay for anti-corruption bodies in their sports, are looking to convince bookies to help foot the bill, reported the Guardian last week.
Sports organisers want a gross-profits contribution from the betting industry that would provide between £20m and £40m a year to integrity campaigns. "If there was a general sports right where you have a more formal contractual relationship with the bookmakers, I'd reinvest all of that into integrity protection," said the Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, when asked by this column.
However, sources say there is no hope of persuading bookmakers into voluntary arrangements. "The relationship is as bad as it has ever been with the bookies," said one.
A Spanish judge last week ordered the detention of 37 people associated with the opposition Popular Party, on suspicion that they were involved in corruption.
The detainees – three of whom have been charged, another released on bail, with the remainder still being questioned – are suspected of involvement in bribery, influence-peddling, money laundering and tax fraud.
They are alleged to have taken money and accepted favours, including expensive overseas trips, in exchange for contracts for public works and organising events in PP-governed towns in the
The judge who ordered the investigation, Baltazar Garzon, has been accused by Popular Party officials of running the investigation out of personal animosity toward the party.
Italian criminals are increasingly talking over their computers to avoid being snared by land-line and mobile phone wiretaps, reports the BBC.
Officers in
Investigators have become increasingly reliant on wiretaps in recent years. Customs and tax police in
In other Italian mafia news, a suspected Calabrian mob boss has been extradited from Holland to Italy to face charges over the murders of a half-dozen men outside a pizza parlor in
