The opposition party, Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), has called for the formation of a parliamentary inquiry commission to investigate the contracts entered into by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Enterprise (MINT) for state reserves.
Arben Gashi, the leader of LDK’s Parliamentary Group, announced during a press conference that they will be pushing for the creation of this commission during the upcoming first session of the Assembly’s autumn term.
Gashi stated on August 9, “The people of Kosovo deserve to know the truth. The truth is the only right answer. Allegations of current misuses and potential abuses of state reserves demand a thorough and substantial investigative approach”.
He emphasized that alongside the criminal investigations that should be carried out by the State Prosecutor’s Office, parliamentary investigations are necessary to assess whether the laws and protocols regarding state reserves have been adhered to.
LDK’s call for a parliamentary inquiry comes after the release of audio recordings by the Nacionale portal, which reportedly discuss irregularities related to the contracts for procuring state reserves conducted by MINT. The portal has reported cases of importing wheat at a higher price from a Turkish construction company.
It has also been revealed that the Turkish company has not yet delivered the amount of wheat that the Government of Kosovo has paid for.
Kosovo enacted the Law on State Reserves in 2010. According to this law, state reserves of goods are established to intervene operationally in order to safeguard the population and the economy in cases of market disturbances, defend the country in extraordinary situations, civil emergencies, and other similar instances.
State reserves of goods are procured based on a medium-term strategic plan and managed by the Department of State Reserves for Goods within the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Enterprise.
In contrast, according to prevailing legislation, investigative committees are set up to examine problems or issues where governmental or state responsibilities are directly implicated. These bodies are also established to determine the sequence of events or to clarify what transpired and identify the responsibility of those involved.
As per the Law on Parliamentary Investigation, investigative committees are also designed to inform, make recommendations, exercise parliamentary oversight, and ultimately arrive at a conclusion.
