Gërvalla: The bureau will verify unjustified assets, while confiscation will be decided by the court

Justice Minister Donika Gërvalla announced that the draft law on the State Bureau for the Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Assets has been submitted to the Kosovo Assembly. She described the initiative as one of the important pillars of justice reform.

According to Gërvalla, the draft law was prepared through several stages of drafting and review. The document was assessed by the Venice Commission, reviewed by the Constitutional Court, subsequently adapted in line with its findings, and returned for public consultation.

The minister said that the version submitted to the Assembly represents the conclusion of a lengthy process, during which comments from civil society were also taken into consideration. She added that since the previous mandate, the law had undergone several minor changes and had been sent for public consultation once again.

The official initiative to establish this mechanism began in 2020 and was conceived as part of reforms related to justice, the rule of law and the fight against corruption.

Gërvalla explained that the aim is to create an additional instrument for cases in which a public official’s assets do not correspond significantly with their lawful income, while existing criminal prosecution mechanisms are insufficient to enable their confiscation.

She stressed that the drafting of the bill sought to preserve a balance between the public interest in combating unjustified assets and the guarantee of individual rights. According to her, this was one of the guiding principles of the entire process.

The minister made clear that the Bureau will not have the authority to confiscate assets. The draft law provides for civil proceedings conducted in court, with defined standards of proof and the right to appeal.

According to Gërvalla, the Bureau’s role will be preparatory and analytical. It will collect, analyze and verify data and, when it determines that the legal conditions have been met, will refer the case to the court. The final decision on confiscation will be made exclusively by the court.

The person against whom the proceedings are conducted will be able to present evidence, challenge the Bureau’s claims and evidence, and use the legal remedies provided for by law.

Gërvalla said that citizens are eagerly awaiting the adoption of this law, as Kosovo cannot allow unjustified assets to become the norm, corruption to prevail over the rule of law, and public wealth to end up in private hands.

She described the draft law as one of the strongest safeguards for combating unjustified assets and declared that this initiative had laid the foundation for the deepest reform of the justice system in the Republic of Kosovo.