More calls for independent organ probe
Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic says it might be best if the Kosovo organ trafficking probe were to be handled by independent investigators
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, February 03, 2011
Vukcevic spoke about a future investigation into organ trafficking allegations mentioned in Dick Marty's report, adding that EULEX needs to be more effective in working on the case.
"It is obvious that not even Marty is satisfied with how EULEX has been working after 'inheriting' UNMIK," Vukcevic said.
"I myself am concerned about EULEX's capabilities. My position is that the proposal of the Human Rights Watch and Dick Marty on independent investigators could possibly be the best solution, and we are here to make a maximum contribution, just like we have done so far," he stressed.
Vukcevic pointed to a good cooperation with EULEX, adding that he believes that EULEX investigators could have done more when it comes to organ trafficking investigation.
When asked if the Serbian War Crimes Chamber cooperates with the Turkish prosecution regarding the arrest of doctor Yusuf Sonmez from Medicus, a private clinic in Pristina where illegal organ transplants allegedly took place, he said that cooperation has not yet been established, but that the Serbian prosecution is ready to provide all information collected in the past two to three years.
Vukcevic said that issue of witnesses is a major one, assessing that the situation will change after the adoption of the resolution on witness protection by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
He said that Kosovo Albanian PM and former KLA leader Hashim Thaci's statement that he will disclose the names of witnesses cooperating with EULEX was "scandalous".
"The issue of witnesses is often a crucial one for war crimes proceedings and therefore particularly delicate," Vukcevic underscored.
