“KPS Killings”

(By Valon A. Syla)

Last week’s murder of two KPS police officers in an ambush in Pec/Peja, western Kosovo, shocked the citizens here. Unknown gunmen ambushed them while they were going to work, killing one outright. The other police officer died of his wounds soon after, the fifth case of a police official being murdered in Kosovo since 2000.

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6^th of September 2003, Gjakova municipality – when KPS police officer Hajdar Hasanahmeti set out for the village of Berjan that morning, he had little idea that this would be his last assignment. A lead investigator with the Gjakova investigation unit, Ahmeti was going to meet his wife and two children when he was ambushed by more than one person. UNMIK police spokesman Derek Chappel describes the circumstances.

Derek Chappell “He was driving home from work in his private car at night, he was driving along the main highway towards Gjakova, and the obstruction placed in the road in front of his car was part of an old fence. That forced him to slow down, and as he slowed down, attackers armed with automatic weapons opened fire and raked his car with gun fire striking him in the chest and killing him. It was an ambush.”

Hajdar Ahmeti was investigating several special cases linked to organized crime in the Dukagjini region, the probable cause of his murder according to most observers. In Pec/Peja, the regional police headquarters, the news of Ahmeti s murder shocked the KPS. Policewoman Sebahate Tolaj was assigned to investigate the assassination of her colleague.

Sebahate (Atmos cut): Like the other policeman, Ahmeti was working in the investigation unit in Gjakova police station; The Unit for serious crimes has taken all these cases on which officer Ahmeti was working, and we are reviewing them.

Sebahate, a frequent guest on the well-known program, Crime watch or Dosier I Krimit, shortly after Ahmeti’s murder. She didn’t know that she too would fall victim to the same forces that had snuffed out the life of her colleague.

Less than 3 months later, Sebahate and 2 other KPS officers were gunned down in a similar ambush, this time just outside Pec/Peja. This too was a carefully planned attack according to Derek Chappell.

Derek Chappell: “Sabahate was struck instantly and her partner was also struck. The car crashed, and the criminals than stopped their car and emptied more rounds firing at the injured people into the crashed car. This is cold blooded and vicious in the extreme.

There seems to be no doubt in most people’s minds that all these killings are direct fallout of investigation into organized crime. There is a clear message here, says Blerim Latifi, a sociologist at the Gani Bobi research institute.

Blerim Latifi: The recent tragic murders of the KPS officers underline two things. First, that organized crime is getting stronger and stronger, and two, that those involved in such crimes are running scared because of the tough new anti crime legislation that has been introduced. I think that all these killings have happened due to these reasons.

The Pec/Peja region is often described as a stronghold of organized crime in Kosovo, and according to Derek Chappell, it’s a hotspot of political and high profile crimes.

Derek Chappell: “Peja has been a Center of Organized smuggling, there are powerful, political and criminal interests in that area and people are afraid and we understand that fear, but we are actually solving ordinary crimes in Peja. We actually solved about half of the murders there. The murders we are not solving are murders such as Tahir Zemaj, such as KPS killings, murders that involve targeting at people because of who they are.

It is clear that powerful interests are at work here and that they will not balk at liquidating anyone who comes in the way of their ambitions. Sociologist Blerim Latifi says Pec/Peja is particularly conducive to this type of crime since it adjoins both Montenegro and Albania, two places notorious for organized crime.

Blerim Latifi: I think that the region of Peja functions like a channel between these two states, we often hear about rampant smuggling in the region, of oil and weapons etc, these are the reasons for so many attacks against police officers.

Sebahate Tolaj was buried on November 26^th in her town of birth in Isniq. More than one thousand mourners, including senior officials from different institutions attended the funeral. Sheremet Ahmeti, KPS colonel.

Sheremet Ahmeti: “Honored Tolaj Family, the news of the death of our colleague, shocked me and all the KPS. I asked myself, how can somebody do such a thing, to raise a hand against those who defend and serve the people of Kosova, but unfortunately it happened. But I believe that we the police will take all the measures in this region to find those criminals and bring them in front of the justice.”

The killings were strongly condemned by the political establishment in Kosovo, from UN chief Harri Holkeri to President Rugova – all unanimous that these crimes were in fact directed against Kosovo itself and that no stone would be left unturned in tracking down the perpetrators. Nobody however expects any quick breakthrough – if gathering evidence is tough, making it stick and getting witnesses to testify is even tougher.

Police work requires assistance and support of ordinary citizens but this does not happen often. According to UNMIK police spokesman Derek Chappel, people know that the ones who have the power control men with guns and the ability to kill. But they are too frightened to report the crimes.

Derek Chappell: “But at some point people have to break out of this cycle of fear. What we have now is another form of oppression, you have Mafia groups, organized crime groups, special interest groups who don’t give a damn for the freedom of Kosovo and they have only an interest in making money, and protecting their little interests. And in that way they are just as oppressive as the Serb masters under Milosevic and I would like to see the same courage being shown by the people to fight against this new criminal oppression.”

Courage will certainly be needed, because as Kosovo’s police service becomes increasingly professional and takes on more competencies, they are also taking more risks and hence will be in greater danger.

4 people have been questioned to date in connection with the latest killings and a handful has called the police to offer information. And if any listener has any information related to these murders call the confidential line: 038 504 604 3152 or 6666.

That’s all we have time for on this edition of UNMIK ON AIR. Thanks for listening.