Anti-Corruption Organisation Exposed to Harassment

The organisation for Democracy Anti-corruption and Dignity (COHU) in Kosovo has the past time been exposed to harassment by the Kosovo authorities, amongst others, Post Telecom Kosovo (PTK). The Swedish Helsinki Committee urges that the authorities of Kosovo investigate the intimidations. The Swedish Helsinki Committee encourages Kosovo authorities to carry out a full investigation related to the intimidation of COHU.

“The harassment and intimidation against COHU could be a way of trying to quiet a non-governmental organisation that defend human rights and work towards fighting corruption and promote transparency in Kosovo,” says Marie Månson, Programme Director for the Western Balkans at the Swedish Helsinki Committee.

Kosovo Government made official, earlier this year that PTK will be privatized. PTK is one of the most profitable state companies that will be privatized in Kosovo during 2009.

COHU has revealed a secret business consortium concerning a deal regarding mobile operations between PTK and private parties in Albania. COHU has since requested full transparency and openness by the involved state authorities in Kosovo regarding these deals as well as complete transparency regarding the related documents related to the deal.

Shygyrj Haxhaj, the Managing Director for PTK has, since COHU required such investigation, accused the wife of COHUs director, Avni Zogiani, working for PTK, to have given out information from the company to COHU. The wife of Mr. Zogiani was thereafter threatened to be removed from her current position at the finance department at the PTK head quarters in Pristina to a warehouse outside of the city.

COHU claims to have received the information from sources in Albania and encourages the authorities to investigate the case to achieve full transparency. According to information the government of Kosovo has also responded on COHUs reactions and stated that they intend to investigate the sources of finances of COHU.