UNMIK-KFOR-UNMIK Police Press Briefing: 11 December 2000
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
KFOR Spokesman Steven R.
Shappell
UNMIK Police Spokesman Derek Chappell
UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
SRSG Bernard Kouchner has been travelling in Paris, Strasbourg and Brussels with various meetings on raising funds for Kosovo, streamlining ID card distribution, and tonight he addresses a Catholic conference on the them of the right to intervene in humanitarian crisis. He returns Wednesday.
As you are all aware, the announcement of his successor, Mr. Hans Haekkerup, Defense Minister of Denmark, was made in New York on Friday. Mr. Haekkerup's CV is posted outside. He is expected to take up his duties here on 15 January.
The Interim Administration Council is expected to meet tomorrow. And on Wednesday, the expanded Kosovo Transitional Council will meet. The new members joining Wednesday will be Naim Maloku of the PQLK, Mr. Yagcilar of the Turkish Democratic Union, Hilmo Kandic of the BSDAK and Mr. Hamiti of the PDASHK. These additions and those to come are intended to broaden the religious and ethnic representation on the KTC as well as the political base, to include those parties who received a significant number of votes in October's municipal elections.
For the first time, media will be able to follow the proceedings via closed circuit TV--just outside this auditorium. There will be three monitors, so that the proceedings can be followed in Albanian, English and Serbo-Croatian.
Regarding last week's visit by families of persons detained in Serbia, we are planning a second such visit on Sunday for 30 families who will visit the prison in Nis. These visits are being arranged by UNMIK's Bureau for Missing and Detained Persons, in association with the IOM and the FRY Presidential Office for Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and the Missing& .
Dubrava prison
Overnight, four Kosovo Albanian detainees escaped from Dubrava prison, which is run by the Kosovo Correctional Service. The four, who were being held on charges of weapons possession and robberies, escaped sometime between 3 and 6 a.m., by breaking a bar in a cell window, tieing sheets together and climbing out of the building and then over three walls. An investigative panel has been set up to determine how this was possible.
Dr Kouchner will officially open the Kosovo Supreme Court on Thursday, 14 December, at 3 p.m. in the Municipal Court Building.
KFOR Spokesman Steven R. Shappell
Train Service Resumes
Beginning this morning, the KFOR operated Fushe Kosove / Kosovo Polje to Zvecan train resumed operations on its normal two times a day round trips schedule.
Grenade Thrown at Bar; Scuffle Ensues
Early this morning in Multinational Brigade North, an unknown assailant threw a grenade at a bar in the northern part of Mitrovice / Mitrovica. There were also reports of shots fired in the vicinity. There were no reports of injuries as a result of the grenade thrown or shots fired. Following this incident, a scuffle ensued between Kosovo Serbs and Kosovar Albanians near the bar. One Kosovar Albanian man was slightly injured in the scuffle, and he was assisted out of the area by KFOR French soldiers. The soldiers also secured the area to prevent further incidents. In connection with the scuffle, the soldiers searched the house of a Kosovar Albanian man. During the search, the soldier found and confiscated a rifle. The situation in the area now is calm.
UNMIK Police Spokesman Derek Chappell
Murder with Arrest
On the 10th of December, at about 5:40pm, UNMIK Police from Prizren Station went to the main hospital in the city where a 14 year-old Albanian male was being treated for gunshot wounds. Sadly, the youth later died at the hospital. Enquiries revealed that the shooting occurred in the course of a family dispute. Police have now arrested a 17 year-old relative of the victim, who is detained on a charge of murder. Also in Prizren on the 10th of December, Police responded to Gjinoc Village where a K-Albanian male had been shot. Whilst en route to the hospital, the victim died. An investigation disclosed that the victim was shot during a family dispute by a K-Albanian male who was also a close relative. The victim died as a result of being shot 8 times with and AK-47 rifle that was used to resolve the argument.
These two incidents tragically illustrate the problems of an armed society that displays a willingness to use casual violence. It is especially sad that these incidents took place after a week that had been free from murders throughout Kosovo.
On a daily basis, UNMIK Police see evidence of extreme violence: Beatings; stabbings; shootings, occurring from relatively trivial incidents such as traffic accidents and family disputes.
As we are achieving increasing success against serious crime throughout the province, and as we see steady improvement in the acceptance of and confidence in the International and Kosovo Police, it seems that the real fight against fear, violence, and intimidation must be fought in the hearts and minds of the people of Kosovo, who must confront this casual acceptance of violence.
Demonstration
On Friday, December 8th, Police in Pec were advised of a demonstration at the bus station. Police attended and found that the workers of KosovaTrans were refusing to work and had closed the gates of the bus station. The main point of contention was lack of payment of their wages for 6 months. About 300 employees were involved.
Police negotiated with the demonstrators and the bus station was re-opened during the afternoon.
At the present time, negotiations are underway between the employees and the bus company. Should agreement not be reached by 1:00pm today, the demonstration will resume. The protest has been calm and without violence.
Overview
Looking back at crime in Kosovo over the past week, the trend towards a reduction in serious crime continues. No murders were recorded compared with 4 the previous week . Only two attempted murders occurred, as opposed to 16 the previous week. 9 aggravated assaults represented a drop from 13 the week before. 2 kidnappings were reported and arsons increased to 10 from 2.
Police arrested 87 persons throughout the province last week, including 7 for outstanding major crimes.
Overall, 420 criminal acts were reported to Police last week, a reduction from 437 the previous 7 days.
Questions
Q: Can you tell us anything more about the people who escaped from Dubrava prison , in particular what they have been charged with?
SM: They're all facing trial. None has been sentenced. One was charged with illegal possession of arms, one with armed robbery and two with regular robbery. All four are K-Albanians.
Q: Yesterday, local media reported an attempt of hundreds Serb civilians trying to cross the border from Serbia into Kosovo some where close to Pudojevo town. Can you confirm and do you have more details?
SS: As I understand, it was not an attempt to cross, it was a peaceful demonstration at gate 3. About 200 Serbs were there for about three hours and handed some correspondence to UNMIK and KFOR. It was peaceful.
Q: Have you arrested any one in connection with the bomb blast to the Yugoslavia Ambassador in Pristina. I have read reports from Yugoslavia media quoting UN sources. Three people including Sabit Geci. Is true or false?
DC: I have seen these reports and there are not true. We have not arrested anybody for that crime.
Q: Have got any clue who did it?
DC: We are investigating the crime. Obviously when we have sufficient evidence to indicate that we have a suspect, they will be arrested. We haven't arrested anybody yet. That report is not correct.
Q: Does it undermine the investigation?
DC: It's certainly not helpful. It's no way helping our investigation in reporting that certain persons have been arrested. It's certainly not helpful for the press to speculate on people we have been arrested.
Q: Mr. Chappell, I would like to follow up to this question. According to Serb News Agencies, here in Kosovo exists one terrorist group called KOBRA, where Mr. Sabit Geci belongs. Do you have any information in this group?
DC: I have no information about that particular group. I read the same report. I have no information about that.
Q: You don't have any information that that group exists in Kosovo, because they said that the same group has been involved in many bomb blast, including the one to Mr. Bukicevic and other murders?
DS: If that group has been investigated by investigation team looking into this crime, then I will not be speculating in their involvement here. I have no information about them.
Q: Do you have any information about a guy in Mitrovica called S.Sadiku, his house was set on fire during the crashes on Friday.
SM: No I don't.
SS: No.
DC: As far as I know, he is still
missing.
Q: But in some report, I think from UNMIK Police, they said he has been in safe place. Do you have any information?
DC: The last information I have that I gathered this morning is he is still regarded as missing.