CRIME
WATCH
(By Luan
Qorraj)
On today’s show we will talk about two unsolved, double
murders that happened in the Mitrovica region.
The first one happened on the 12th of June 2000
in the woods outside the village of Kotor.
Sometime around one in the afternoon Jetullah Behrami
together with his brother and two of his brother’s sons went to the nearby
woods to chop some firewood. Everything was going as usual and the 4 men had
loaded up their tractor and were going home when unidentified persons opened
fire at them with automatic weapons.
Jetullah, back on the scene of the crime, remembers the day when, for
reasons still unknown to him, someone killed his brother and one of his sons:
Jetullah Behrami: That’s where we filled up our
tractor with the wood and we came here where we are now- the shooting started
from that position over there. At that moment we jumped off the tractor, the
three of us were sitting on one tree, me, Xhafer and Faruk. I went in this
position, keeping my head down and I went into the woods. When I got to the
middle of the downhill I saw that Faruk had already made it to the other side.
One bullet had struck him, and went out through his neck. There were people on
a horse cart over there and I asked them to help me, they did. I thank them for
that. We got him up on the cart and they took him down. I stopped there after
they left for 10-15 minutes. I left both men up there dead. Xhafer was lying
where I’m standing now and Baki was still up on the tractor, both covered in
blood. So I walked home. And that was it.
The reasons for the attack, as well as the identities of the
attackers, are unknown. And the family is as much in the dark as the
investigators. Mrs. Behrami remembers the last time she saw her son and
grandson alive:
Mrs. Behrami: well what can we do? We cannot do
anything since we do not know who it was. We don’t know and they were in the
woods. They (the Behrami’s) ate and drank, and had their last tea. They turned
on their tractor and left. And the others were hidden, they started
shooting. They killed them. I am very sad.
The case remains a puzzle
for the police. Although they have two people suspected for involvement in the
crime nothing can be proven, yet. And there is no news of other possible
attackers. Mitrovica regional investigator Jakup Veseli says that the police
have received some information from citizens, but more cooperation would be
welcome:
Jakup Veseli: In connection with this case
we have two suspects but I believe that, in the future, with the cooperation of
the citizens we will have more. The investigation is on going.
The other case we will
talk about happened in October 2001. Same as in the first case two people were
killed in an ambush, this time on the road between Pristina and Skenderaj.
CUT: On 19’th of November 2001 Gani, Geci, Bekim
Kastrati and Besim Dajaku were returning to Skenderaj from Prishtina, driving
an “Opel Frontera”. It all went normal but for one thing: they were supposed to
use a side road since the main road to Skenderaj was closed for repairs. The
side road, although quite short, did not allow the vehicle to move at its usual
speed. This was used by the people
-who, for now, remain unknown- who organized an ambush. The killers were
divided in two groups. The first group was placed in a “Volvo” and they were
keeping watch. According to the police, this group, which consisted of three
people, flashed light signals that the car was approaching. The other group was
in the woods and their job was to open fire. After they started shooting, the
passengers from the Frontera responded with fire, since they were armed but two
of them got killed. Bekim died on the spot while Besim was killed a few dozen
meters further on. Gani Geci was wounded.
Two double murders, which
happened in Mitrovica region that still remain unsolved. The police would like
to address the citizens for their help in these cases, any information that can
lead to the capture of the perpetrators is welcomed. If there is anything you
know and would like to report, about these cases, or any other criminal activities
call 038 504 604 6666, again, 038 504 604 6666. And if you have worries about
your safety, you shouldn’t, all phone calls can be made anonymously.
And With this we close our Radio edition of crime
Watch, thanks for listening and stay tuned for more.