UNMIK ON AIR

CRIMEWATCH: BANK MANAGER MURDERED

FEBRUARY 7 2003

(Luan Qorraj)

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Hello and welcome to this week’s radio edition of UNMIK TV’s Crime Watch programme… giving listeners the chance to help solve crimes.

After the war in Kosovo many murders were committed. The murder rate has dropped dramatically recently, along with other violent crimes. But many murders from the early period remain unsolved.

One of them happened in February 2000 in the centre of the town of Viti. The motives and the identity of the criminal are still not known. We are talking about the cold-blooded murder of bank director Danush Selimi, killed at work in a building surrounded by hundreds of people.

Sebahate Selimi remembers the morning on which her husband was killed:

CUt 1 : It was Wednesday morning on the 9’th of February, Danush rose before me, I was awake earlier but he rose before me and went into the kitchen (cut the music if needed)

Afterwards, Mr Selemi got into his car and drove off to work. 15 minutes later he was approaching the bank in the center of the town and everything seemed normal except that his parking spot was blocked. Mrs Selimi:

CUt 2 : where he always parked his car, a Mercedes, there was another car parked on his spot. And they used the noise from the car to muffle the sound of shots coming from the place he worked.

According to his co-workers Mr Selimi walked into his office and started up his computer when an unknown male walked into the bank, which was at that time, and fired multiple shots into Danush.

Afterward the murderer simply walked out of the bank into the street crowded with people. KFOR soldiers were the first to arrive on the scene of the crime and found Mr Selimi still alive but, despite their efforts, he died on his way to Bondsteel military hospital.

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Remzi Azemi, a KPS officer working on the case, said that the police have checked all possible motives for this crime but found nothing that would explain why would anyone want to kill him:

CUt 3 : The late Danush Selimi has replaced the director of the bank in December 1999, about two months before the murder actually took place. But up to now we do not have any proof that would allow us to suspect that the motive of this murder was the replacement of the director. We also do not have any element that would lead us to think that this murder was politically motivated.

The intensive investigation did lead to the arrest of one suspect who was released later on. The same suspect is now on the run and he is wanted by the police for various other offences: Remzi Azemi:

CUt 4 : On 8^th of July, 2000 the investigators arrested a person suspected for this murder. But he was released by the court for lack of evidence in connection with this crime .

But the investigators are convinced that they will manage to find the person behind this murder – there were hundreds of people in the center of Viti on the morning of February 9 2000, and someone must have seen or heard something that might help the investigators. So if there is anything you know and would like to report, about this case, or any other criminal activities call 038 504 604 6666 , again, 038 504 604 6666. And if you have worries about your safety, there is no need, all phone calls can be made anonymously.

And with this we close…..