The Special Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into ruling party MP Adem Grabovci after leaked wiretaps sparked allegations that he influenced public-sector appointments.

MP Adem Grabovci

The Special Prosecutor’s Office announced on Friday that it was investigating Grabovci, an MP from the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, over suspicions that he “used his official duties and authority to ensure political power and influence over decision-making processes within institutions, government agencies and public enterprises”.

It said that it was probing allegations that Grabovci “intentionally violated the laws and procedures of employment and the selection of directors and public enterprise members and management bodies of independent agencies and other institutions, ensuring in this way the illegal hiring of a certain number of persons”.

The prosecution also is investigating Grabovci for allegedly “violating the equal status of citizens and residents of Kosovo”.

It is probing allegations that he favoured certain candidates “on the basis of their political affiliation while employing them in public institutions”.

The prosecution said the investigation started after an online newspaper, Insajderi.com, started publishing his wiretaps of his telephone conversations with other PDK officials earlier this month.

The wiretapped conversations sparked the claims that he influenced appointments to top public sector positions.

After they started to be published, Grabovci said that the wiretapped conversations were used by EU rule-of-law mission prosecutors in a case that is now closed.

“If employing people is a crime, then I am ready to respond to the prosecution,” he said.

He asked a court to stop the publishing of the wiretaps, but his request was rejected.

Balkan Insight 

26 August, 2016