American Council for Kosovo - Organized Crime in Kosovo

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The American Council for Kosovo is an independent U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a better American understanding of the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija and of the critical American stake in the province's future. The Council's mission is to make accurate information and analysis about Kosovo available to officials of the Executive and Legislative branches of the U.S. Government; to think tanks, media, NGOs, religious and advocacy organizations; and to the general public. In particular, the Council’s educational activities will generate a heightened American awareness that an independent Kosovo – forcibly and illegally detached from Serbia, as is now being contemplated by the international community – would be harmful to U.S. national interests and to European and global security.

Important Notice Concerning Fraudulent “American Council for Kosova“ Website:
It has come to our attention at the American Council for Kosovo that there still may be some confusion about an unauthorized mirror site, created by persons styling themselves the "American Council for Kosova." This deceptive site closely patterns the appearance of the genuine American Council for Kosovo site (www.savekosovo.org) but with a pro-Albanian separatist, anti-Serbian, pro-Kosovo independence message. Indeed, suggestions even have been made that we at the American Council for Kosovo are also behind the mirror site in order to "work both sides of the street," on the pro-Albanian side as well as the pro-Serbian side.
Nothing could be further from the truth! The pro-Albanian "Kosova" site appeared within days of our creation of the genuine American Council for Kosovo site. Its purpose was clearly to detract from the effort we had launched on behalf of the Christian Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija under the guidance of Vladyka Artemije. It is characteristic of the pro-separation advocates that they are afraid to engage on the facts and international standards concerning Kosovo -- both of which favor the Serbian position -- and need to stoop to cheap tricks and deception in a feeble attempt to undermine our increasingly successful message. In that sense, we take their efforts -- which, given the activity of the fraudulent site, clearly are quite well-funded -- as a compliment to our work and evidence of increasing fear on the Muslim Albanian side that the the pro-separatist agenda is in deep trouble.
We at the American Council for Kosovo have been asked (1) why we did not preempt the available internet addresses for the fraudulent site, and (2) why we don't take legal action to shut them down. The short answer is that doing so would take away time and resources from our own activities, which given the formidable opposition we still face, we cannot afford to spare. Conversely, we are confident that intelligent readers, if they do chance across the fraudulent mirror site will soon see it for what it is: just more of the dishonest and misleading "Kosova" propaganda to which the world has been subject for the past decade and more. We ask the critical reader to make the appropriate comparisons and dismiss the fraulent mirror site to the oblivion it so richly deserves.
Media requesting further information about this matter may contact press@savekosovo.org

December 2006

Organized Crime in Kosovo

KOSOVO: PREMIER’S AID DETAINED FOR SUSPECTED MONEY LAUNDERING

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source: adnkronos international

Wednesday, 14 March 2007

Pristina, 13 March (AKI) - Kosovo and international police have arrested two people, including Jahja Luka, political adviser to prime minister Agim Ceku, on suspicion of money laundering, local media reported on Tuesday. Luka and Pristina Kasa Bank director Milaz Abazi are under house arrest for 30 days while the case is investigated, according to media reports.

Luka, administrator of a special fund for the defence of former premier Ramus Haradinaj, accused for war crimes against civilians by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), was arrested on Monday together with Abazi. The money was channelled to the Haradinaj fund through the Pristina Kasa Bank, investigators allege.

Ceku said in a statement that Luka was arrested on suspicion of financial abuses relating to the operation of the Haradinaj fund, not to his role as prime minister’s adviser. Ceku said he would decide on Luka’s political future in the coming days, depending on the findings of the probe.

Haradinaj, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, was a regional commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) which began a rebellion against Serbian rule in 1999. He was indicted by the ICTY in 2005 for killing scores of Serbs and "non-loyal" ethnic Albanian civilians during military operations in western Kosovo in 1998 and 1999.

Haradinaj resigned as prime minister after the indictment and turned himself in to the Hague Tribunal, but was released pending trial. He returned to the Hague on 26 February and the trial began on 3 March.

Ten million euros have so far been collected for Haradinaj’s defence from individuals, companies and various organisations, of which 7.5 million euros have already been spent, according to investigators. Haradinaj’s lawyers have stated at least another 1.5 million euros are needed for his defence.

Organized Crime in Kosovo

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