Former investigator shows how to dismantle illegal networks after removal of 20 Serbs from ministry

The Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Fitore Pacolli, has confirmed the termination of employment for 20 officials belonging to the Serb community, because they have not reported for duty since 2016.

According to her, the measure was taken based on the findings of the National Audit Office and after a thorough analysis of official documentation.

Former investigator Agim Rexhepi assessed this move as a strong signal that previous behaviors can no longer be tolerated. In a conversation with “Bota sot”, he emphasized that the state administration cannot be functional when citizens pay with their taxes for people who have not set foot in their workplace for years.

Rexhepi added that this action should not remain isolated, calling on every institution to conduct a thorough scan for similar cases. According to him, anyone who was appointed under agreements but has not fulfilled their obligations or not obeyed the laws of Kosovo, should face the law.

He linked the origin of this problem to the way the integration of former members of the so-called “Civil Protection” into state structures was managed. This process took place under the mediation of the European Union and was led by negotiators such as Edita Tahiri, Avni Arifi and Skënder Hyseni. Although the goal of disbanding illegal formations was right, the practical implementation was flawed, because a strong monitoring system was not put in place to verify whether these individuals were truly contributing to the state, Rexhepi explained.

He accused previous executives of treating the dialogue as a formality, making concessions without setting up sustainable control mechanisms. This created the possibility for some people to receive salaries from the Kosovo budget without fulfilling their respective duties.

Finally, Rexhepi insisted that public administration must be guided by accountability and the rule of law, rejecting any double standards. He concluded that the battle against parallel mechanisms is not won only with law enforcement operations, but also by cleansing the public sector of every unjustified case, thus protecting taxpayers’ money and proving that the law applies equally to everyone.