UNMIK ON AIR

12 december 2003

THE KPC OFFICERS SUSPENDED

(By Zoran Culafic & Valon Syla)

Hello and welcome to UNMIK on Air.

It was a surprise to no one that UNMIK’s decision to suspend 12 officers of the Kosovo Protection Corps, KPC, triggered strong feelings. UN chief Hari Holkeri took the decision pending an investigation into alleged KPC links with the outlawed Albanian National Army, ANA. This is a follow up to a botched bomb attempt on a railway bridge in northern Kosovo earlier this year that was claimed by the ANA. One of the two men involved in the abortive terror attack was identified as an active member of the KPC – to make matters worse, the ANA publicly claimed it had several KPC members in its ranks. The organization, which likes to see itself as Kosovo’s army in waiting, is now trying to deal with the fallout of the latest allegations – that 12 of its officers are suspected of involvement in illegal activities that do not match the KPC mandate in Kosovo.

Kosovo Albanian political leaders reacted strongly, slamming the decision as unfounded and unjust and that it represented a political attack on the KPC as an institution. The KPC for its part insisted the officers were innocent and that a thorough investigation would vindicate their position. A potentially damaging crisis was averted after marathon meetings between KPC chief Agim Ceku and local and international officials. Political leaders in Pristina convinced Ceku to accept Holkeri’s decision, saying the move was in fact aimed at protecting the KPC and its values. According to the constitutional framework, the KPC falls under the competencies reserved for UNMIK

Many analysts in the region say the change of heart was due essentially to pressure from the US, seen by many K. Albanians as a key ally. Lulzim Mjeku, editor of Kosova Live news agency.

Lulzim Mjeku: General Ceku only negotiated with SRSG Holkeri in the beginning when he was against the suspension of KPC members. The contribution and the impact of the US through its political representative here, Marcie Ries, was great, and also through all the chiefs of foreign diplomatic missions in Kosovo who are members of the Contact Group. I think that all these elements had an impact on general Ceku’s decision. Otherwise, General Ceku would have needed more time to take such a decision.

Ceku nonetheless decided to take the case to the Ombudsperson, Marek Antoni Nowicki for advice on how to handle the issue.

Nowicki says he hopes that Holkeri’s decision was based on facts, because it was obviously not a very easy decision to take.

Marek Antoni Nowicki: My judgment concerning this whole issue will be depending very much on further developments, SRSG ordered police investigations, and this police investigation should start and should give soon results. These investigations of course should follow all the requirements of proper criminal procedure, and requirement of fairness toward the person who are implicated in this.

Marko Nicovic heads the New York based International Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association and is a former Belgrade police chief. He believes that the suspension of the 12 KPC officers came because it was no longer possible to protect them from accusations that they were actively involved in illegal activities.

Marko Nicovic: It is obvious that KPC is a kind of front organization for the network that extends beyond Kosovo to the territory of western Macedonia and its influence goes further to Albania. And so, regardless of all those good links with Western Europe now they (KPC) become a problem for the West that supported them unreservedly before and during the bombardment campaign.

KPC spokesperson Shemsi Syla strongly rejects charges that his organization was in any way involved in illegal activities. The reason they accepted the suspension, he says, was in order to protect the KPC itself and its values.

Shemsi Syla: “For the sake of the development of all processes in Kosovo and the advancement of the KPC, the members on the suspension list agreed to accept this suspension. But the KPC headquarters has its own stance and considers this suspension as a hasty decision, unjust and without facts.”

Not so, rejoins UNMIK police spokesperson Derek Chapell. Every organization, he says, whether it’s the police, military or the KPC, has its own code of conduct, and if that is breached, they’re subject to disciplinary procedures within their own organization, or by their supervisors, in this case, UNMIK.

Derek Chapell: UNMIK investigation led them into areas involving criminal offences and as soon as that happens the criminal investigations always take precedence so those files were handed to the police to conduct a criminal investigation.

For former Belgrade police chief Marko Nicovic, it’s a case of the chickens coming home to roost. It was only a matter of time he says for hard evidence to emerge about the links between organized crime and the KPC.

Marko Nicovic: Western police are fully aware that such illegal activities in Kosovo are impossible without the active participation of the KPC in all these criminal activities related to drug smuggling, smuggling stolen cars, people trafficking fake money or kidnapping. I think that Agim Ceku had no choice but to sacrifice his war comrades to protect himself.

But if one swallow doesn’t make a summer, neither does the involvement of a few individuals in criminal activities necessarily make the entire KPC a suspect organization. The charges against the 12 officers remain to be proved even if UNMIK is convinced it is on firm ground. The KPC has a perfect track record, insists spokesman Shemsi Syla, after all, every organization has its black sheep.

Shemsi Syla: It is impossible for the KPC with this structure, this heritage and the situation that surrounds us in the region – not to be influenced by problems. But even more perfect organizations, the best ones in the world cannot have constant control.

And that comment from KPC spokesman Shemsi Syla ends this edition of UNMIK ON AIR. Thanks for listening.