The Weakest Link of Kosovo's Democracy - KFOS

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planes.
In addition there have been suspicions on other criminal cases such as sexual abuses,
violence, stealing of money in Airport bars etc.
The Task Force moreover concludes that there has been no intention to hold the Airport
Management accountable for how public money was spent. Also it is stated that there
is a clear lack of will from UNMIK to supervise the work of the Airport Management.
The audit, covering 2001-2003, has concluded that there were a basic lack of adequate
skills in management, administration and finance, both as concerns KTA as well as
the Airport Management. The two share the responsibility with Kosovo Institutions
but ultimately the responsibility lies with the Special Representative of UN. The most
frequent reasons given by people in power and by Airport Management have been that
they have not been in a position to follow the procurement rules, but this answer is
considered irrelevant, especially for the years 2002-2003.
unreported irregularities
A research has been carried out by ÇOHU! sending e-mails to airport employees to find
out if they are aware of some other cases of irregularities listed in the e-mails. These
cases have been made known to ÇOHU! from different sources and also from a heap of
documents secured from sources at the Airport. The result of this investigation shows
that the cases are believed correct and they are therefore included in this report.
- At least two workers have received salaries for five or six months respectively
without being present at work. One of them is a worker in
the Technical Service who, during 2004, received salary six months in
a row without being present claiming reasons of ill health. However,
during the same period he was listed as working at OSCE in Prishtina.
- At least three persons have received traveling visas as being employees
of the Airport although they have never been employed there.
One example is the wife of a technical manager who got a visa in April
2004 appearing as airport staff.
- High Airport managers have used their positions for personal benefits
in various ways. One was to assign airport apartments to themselves
even though the apartments were meant for airport workers and the
managers already owned at least one house in Prishtina.
- The practice to take hue bribes in exchange for work has continued
and has caused a redundancy. Until year end some 200 workers will
be dismissed. Until now 37 workers have been dismissed. The Task
Force also reports on a case where a young man from Halilaq, Fushe
Kosove was killed in this context.
- A number of workers at the Airport report that the proper procedures
for selecting and employing staff are not followed. As a result, very
often, professional criteria have been put aside in favor of nepotism.
One case happened in 2004 when the brother of the chairman of
the KTA BoD for the Airport was employed. The workers who have
participated in the investigation state that the nepotism and other
irregularities could concern as many as 70% of the whole workforce