Opinion: Taukbashqe Park: When Good Intentions Hit a Pile of Dirt June 7 - 20, 2013 Issue No. 113 www.prishtinainsight.com Price € 1 NEWS Swift Bear Rescue Follows Killings > page 3 INVESTIGATION Charities Escape Scrutiny in Kosovo > page 4 FEATURE Jolie Drama Stirs Breast Cancer Debate in Kosovo > page 6 NEIGHBORHOOD Vetevendosje Polishes Image on First US Tour New Skopje Mayor Leaders take message to Albanian diaspora, American officials. page 11 Wants Referendum on Statues Film Company Faces Questions After an audit detected financial irregularities in the production of the landmark film ‘Kukumi,’ the ex-head of Kosovo Film denies wrongdoing. > page 7 But now police and prosecutors of interest. not respond to Prishtina Insight’s By Donjeta Demolli and Visar Duriqi are probing Kosovo Film for finan- Gani Mehmetaj, who headed questions, either. INSIDE PRISHTINA cial irregularities related to the pro- Kosovo Film from 2003 to until his The Ministry of Culture also Drinking in the duction of the film. suspension 2012, told Prishtina would not say what specifically n the 2004 film “Kukumi,” after The investigation began in April Insight recently that the claims are prompted it to turn over the audit to Good Life at the UN liberates three patients after police received an internal “untrue”. police. Ifrom a psychiatric hospital audit from the Ministry of Culture, He is meanwhile suing the The most significant issue raised Bon Vivant shortly after the war in Kosovo, which oversees Kosovo Film. Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, in the audit concerns the 300,000 two of the inmates end up return- The report says that the 482,000 Veton Firzi, alleging that he was euro from Jadran Film that could > page 22 ing to it voluntarily. euro provided by the ministry was suspended illegally. not be accounted for in the film Produced by the state-funded accounted for properly. The Ministry said it that it sus- budget. Kosovo Film company, the dark com- But questions the 300,000 euro pended Mehmetaj for abusing his “There is no separate bank edy was first major film to emerge worth of investment by the film’s position, including not respecting account for the movie. Neither the from Kosovo following the war. Croatian partner, which provided working hours. ministry nor Kosovo Film can say Kosovo’s only English-language While the film received mixed equipment for the filming. Kosovo Police confirmed that it exactly how much ‘Kukumi’ cost,” newspaper is available: reviews, it went on to win awards at The March audit covers 2002 to was investigating Kosovo Film but the report noted. the Venice and Sarajevo film festi- 2012 and details other financial declined to discuss its investiga- Delivered to vals. irregularities and possible conflicts tion. The assigned prosecutor did continues page 2 Your Door Romania’s Hungarians Yearn The Hague Tribunal, A Court From Newsstands for Region of Their Own Under Fire across Kosovo Romanians eat tripe soup, while Lawyers, victims and historians agree Sent To Hungarians eat goulash. For me, this is the that many crimes committed during the Your Inbox only difference between us,” says Catalin Balkan wars would not have been seriously Manolescu, a 36-year-old construction engi- prosecuted had it not been for the estab- neer in Bucharest. lishment of the International Criminal From “I don’t fully understand their demand Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia 20 our partners for more rights. We Romanians and years ago this week. neighborhood Hungarians are citizens of... page 9 At the same time... page 8 see page 16 for more info is supported by: 2 June 7 - 20, 2013 news Film Company Faces Questions from page 1 negatively affect his performance as a director. Family members Jadran Film, a Croatian compa- reached by phone also said Qosja ny, handled the technical side of would not speak for the same rea- the production, providing equip- sons. ment and technicians. Prishtina Insight has contacted Conflicts of interest: Jadran Film, but the company did not respond to any questions about The Ministry of Culture’s audi- the film. tor also identified several “Kukumi” was shot over 45 days instances of potential violations of in 2004, with Jadran Film’s equip- the Law on Preventing Conflict of ment and technicians. Interest in connection with the “When we signed the contract film. with Jadran Film, which provided For example, Kosova Film hired technicians, we specified it like Nyrtene Demiri, Mehmetaj’s wife, this: ‘We will take the means from as an Albanian-English translator the ministry and they [Jadran] and presenter at national and will provide the technology, and it international festivals, according will be a joint movie,” Mehmetaj to the audit, for which she received recalled. around 1,000 euro. Mehmetaj says they did not need Mehmetaj has denied conflict of to account for Jadran Film’s con- interest, saying he “didn’t hire her. tribution because it was not in the The financial director did”. form of direct financial support. He also said he did not see a con- flict of interest in the hire of his nephew as manager of Kosovo “There is no separate bank Film. “The commission chose him account for the movie. through an open call for applica- tions,” said Mehmetaj who does Neither the ministry nor not appear to have been a member Kosovo Film can say exactly of the selecting commission. how much ‘Kukumi’ cost.” Ministry criticized: - Internal audit, The audit also criticized The Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture for its han- dling of Kosovo Film, noting that The film director, Isa Qosja, was the ministry “did not ask for full the acting director of Kosovo Film and timely accountability for the in 2002, when preparations were money given”. being made for the production of The former director of the min- the film, according to the audit. istry’s performing arts division, Qosja is currently directing which oversees Kosovo Films, An audit is raising questions about budget of the 2004 film 'Kukumi.' another movie for Kosovo Film, Kamuran Goranci, told Prishtina “Three Windows and a Hanging,” Insight that he uncovered prob- istry gave more money to Kosovo Sali Morina, permanent secre- it.” Skender Hyseni, Culture which has received 160,000 euro in lems with Kosovo Film’s account film. tary of the Ministry from 2008 to Minister from 2006 to 2008, also government funding. of its spending. Two former culture ministers, 2010, said he never received any said he never heard of problems Prishtina Insight attempted to “It didn’t respect the reporting Astrit Haraqija and Valton Beqiri, complaints about Kosovo Film connected to Kosovo Film or to visit him on location in Mrasor, rules concerning how the funding are currently on trial on charges during his tenure. “Kukumi.” Klina municipality, to discuss the given was spent,” said Goranci, of abusing their positions by sign- Behxhet Brajshori, the Culture “During this short period of alleged financial irregularities who now heads the Department of ing illegal contracts with two film Minister when Kukumi began time my subordinates never connected with “Kukumi.” Culture. production companies, Concordia filming, also said he never heard of informed me of any eventual But Qosja’s assistants would not He said he alerted officials and Pictures and Morina Films, dam- problems connected with the film. irregularities concerning Kosovo allow access to the director, saying auditors about the issues in 2004. aging Kosovo’s budget by 390,000 His successor, Astrit Haraqija, Film, or the ‘Kukumi’ project,” he discussing such allegations could But, during that period, the min- euro. said he “had nothing to do with said. Five Acquitted in BIRN Kosovo Case mer owner of Infopress, Rexhep Lushtaku was mayor at the time. a democratic society like Kosovo Xharra said of the verdict that Hoti, the former editor-in-chief, The court on Wednesday ruled to do everything it can to protect she “never thought it would be Avni Azemi, and two former jour- the articles did not pose a threat to the precious right of freedom of easy but we won’t give up”, By Edona Peci nalists, Rizah Hajdari and Qani Xharra even if they damaged “her the press and punish those who adding: “I encourage you [in the Mehmeti. honour and reputation”. undermine it,” EULEX prosecutor media] not to give in, to have a bet- In 12 articles published by “We did not find that the con- Maria Bamieh said. ter media environment compared Infopress, Xharra was called a tent of the articles were a coded “The threats and the defama- to what there is now.” court has acquitted five “Serbian spy”, a “professional threat," Judge Vladimir Micula tion made against her had a clear Xharra has already filed a libel defendants accused of stag- bomb”, an “embassy slut” and sub- said. goal. The accused wanted to scare case, seeking compensation from Aing a hate campaign in the jected to other insults, the indict- Referring to threatening emails Jeta Xharra and her team," she the former defendants. media against BIRN director Jeta ment said. that Xharra and the BIRN office in added. Arianit Koci, lawyer for Xharra. It said a campaign against Prishtina received after the pro- "They wanted to humiliate her Lushtaku, described the verdict as A mixed panel of Kosovo and Xharra was launched after Radio gramme was aired, the EULEX and... get a critical and credible “just and legal”. EULEX judges found five defen- Television Kosovo, RTK, aired an judge said that “no link was found journalist off the table who had “It was a legal and professional dants not guilty of threatening edition of BIRN’s TV programme, between the articles and those dared to criticize the political battle," he said.