EU prosecutors clear former Kosovo judge of corruption allegations News
EU prosecutors clear former Kosovo judge of corruption allegations

Prosecutors for the EU have determined that a former judge for the EU’s Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) [official website] did not solicit or accept bribes. Judge Francesco Florit had been accused of taking bribes [AP report] to arrange the release of criminals after suspicious communications were discovered in 2012. The UN opened Florit to investigation, but Florit denied the claims and thereafter resigned. At the same time Florit was cleared of the corruption allegations, three lawyers that were accused of attempting to bribe him were also cleared.

EULEX was established to aid Kosovo in the rule of law application when it comes to instances such as war crimes that may cause conflict with in the region. Last month the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo [official website] filed an indictment [JURIST report] charging politician Fatmir Limaj with war crimes. In September recently appointed Kosovo war crimes prosecutor David Schwendiman of the Special Investigative Task Force [official website] vowed to investigate [JURIST report] all war crime suspects “fairly, vigorously and without fear.” The Assembly of Kosovo [official website, in Albanian] voted in June to extend the EULEX mandate [JURIST report] for two years.