If He Knew Sheholli Was a Spy, Why Did Milaim Zeka Accept the Materials and the Money?

Milaim Zeka has stated that Fatmir Sheholli was known to everyone as a spy. Nevertheless, the indictment filed by the Special Prosecution states that it was from Sheholli that he received materials for publication and €1,000. Zeka now explains that the materials were presented to him as being from the German GIZ, while the money was given for translation. But this version encounters inconsistencies when compared with his statements and the facts that, according to the Prosecution, have been documented.

The case against Fatmir Sheholli, who is accused of espionage and blackmail, contains communications, materials and payments that the Prosecution links to activities serving the interests of Serbia’s BIA.

Milaim Zeka’s name has also become involved in this case. Attention has been heightened by a statement made by the journalist himself after the indictment became public: he said that “it was known that Sheholli was a spy.”

This raises a direct question: how could a journalist who claims to have known that the person he was in contact with was a spy accept compromising materials from him, become involved in preparing them for publication and also receive money?

What does the Prosecution allege?

According to the indictment, Fatmir Sheholli acted in coordination with Bojan Dimiq, an official of Serbia’s BIA, with the aim of harming Kosovo’s interests and influencing the electoral process.

The Prosecution alleges that Sheholli had obtained audio materials and transcripts intended to compromise officials of the Ministry for Communities and Return. He then handed these materials to Milaim Zeka for publication.

The same case file states that Zeka received €1,000 and that he was supposed to receive another €1,000 after publication.

According to the Prosecution, the handover of the materials and money was documented through audio recordings and security cameras.

Thus, the allegations are supported not only by public statements but are part of an indictment that, according to the investigative authorities, is based on evidence gathered during the investigation.

The version about the GIZ materials

After the indictment was published, Zeka said that the materials had been presented to him as information originating from the German GIZ.

When asked how they could have been GIZ materials if they were in Serbian, he implied that they might have come from “someone inside GIZ.”

However, this explanation makes the matter even more complicated. The indictment alleges that GIZ’s name was used to conceal the true origin of the materials, which the Prosecution links to BIA and Bojan Dimiq.

According to this version, GIZ was not the source of the materials, but its name served as a cover.

If Zeka says he knew that Sheholli was a spy, then it is difficult to understand why he would have trusted Sheholli’s explanation about the origin of the materials.

A source that raises suspicions requires enhanced verification. In the case of a person whom Zeka himself says he knew to be a spy, the need for verification should have been even greater.

€2,000 for publication or €1,000 for translation?

Another inconsistency concerns the payment.

In a television interview, Zeka stated that the €1,000 he received from Sheholli was payment for translating the materials.

Meanwhile, the indictment quotes a statement he gave to the Police, according to which Sheholli had told him that the “German GIZ” had allocated €2,000 for publication: €1,000 in advance and another €1,000 after publication.

Thus, the statement given to the Police refers to €2,000 for publication, while on television he spoke of €1,000 for translation.

This inconsistency requires clarification, not because of Zeka’s opponents, but because both versions are attributed to Zeka himself.

There are also two versions regarding the return of the money

Zeka has stated that he returned the €1,000 to Sheholli before Sheholli was arrested.

But the indictment mentions a communication with Sheholli’s son, held after his arrest, in which the return of the money was discussed.

This also creates a chronological inconsistency. If the money had been returned before the arrest, the question remains as to why its return was discussed again after the arrest.

This element makes the explanation that the payment was made solely for translation more complicated.

The mention of GIZ and the weight of the allegation

GIZ is not an ordinary private company. It is Germany’s international development institution, which has been present in Kosovo for many years through projects involving the rule of law, public administration, the economy and European integration.

For this reason, the claim that “GIZ had allocated €2,000 for the publication” of compromising materials is particularly serious.

If such a claim is unfounded, then the name of a German institution may have been used to cover an operation that the Prosecution links to Serbia’s BIA.

The issue concerns not only the reputation of the individuals mentioned. It also affects the credibility of an important partner of Kosovo. For this reason, the reference to GIZ cannot be regarded as a secondary detail.

What do the materials in Serbian show?

The fact that the materials were in Serbian, by itself, does not prove where they came from.

However, this issue becomes significant when considered alongside the other elements of the case file: Fatmir Sheholli, communications with Bojan Dimiq, the payments, the period before the elections, requests for publication and the Prosecution’s allegation that GIZ’s name was used to conceal the true source.

In these circumstances, the statement “I thought they were from GIZ” is not enough as an explanation. What remains to be clarified is what verification was carried out before the materials were accepted.

Zeka and Sheholli knew each other

Published photographs showing Zeka and Sheholli together indicate that they knew each other and had been in contact.

A photograph does not, of course, constitute evidence of any criminal offense. But in this case it is relevant for another reason: Zeka was not dealing with a complete stranger who had suddenly appeared before him.

He knew Sheholli and, according to his own statement, was also aware of his reputation.

Precisely for this reason, any material received from Sheholli should have been subjected to a higher standard of verification.

The questions that remain open

The indictment against Fatmir Sheholli does not accuse Milaim Zeka of espionage. This must be made clear.

Nevertheless, Zeka’s name appears in the indictment in connection with an episode in which, according to the Prosecution, materials linked to a BIA plan ended up with him for publication, together with money.

At the same time, Zeka states that it was known that Sheholli was a spy.

Therefore, the main questions arise from the statements themselves and from the allegations in the indictment: if he knew who Sheholli was, why did he accept the materials? If he knew this, why did he believe the story about GIZ? If the €2,000 was for publication, why was the €1,000 later explained as payment for translation?

And if the materials really came from the German GIZ, what evidence is there of this?

These questions do not arise simply from a media debate. They emerge from Zeka’s statements and the contents of the indictment, making this case particularly important.

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