Prishtina, May 13, 2024 – Acting Chief State Prosecutor Mr. Besim Kelmendi participated in the meeting invited by the Head of the Office for Recovery of Asset, Mr. Bahri Hyseni, with representatives of law enforcement institutions, specifically from the Kosovo Police, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Agency for the Management of Confiscated and Seized Assets, the Tax Administration of Kosovo and the Customs of Kosovo.
During this meeting, the Office for Asset Recovery was operationalized, which was established within the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor and offers help and advice in tracking assets, cooperation with financial institutions, forensic accounting and international cooperation to achieve the goals of the prosecutors of the case for the recovery of the assets acquired through the criminal offense.
On this occasion, the Acting Chief State Prosecutor, Mr. Besim Kelmendi welcomed the operationalization of this Office, thanking the representatives of the Basel Institute for Governance and UNDP for the support and assistance provided in various forms for the establishment of the Asset Recovery Office and expressed his readiness for cooperation with all other law-enforcement institutions for the purpose of the best functioning of this Office.
Also in this meeting, the Prosecutor from the Chief State Prosecutor’s Office, concurrently Head of the Asset Recovery Office, Mr. Bahri Hyseni informed the representatives of the law-enforcement institutions about the role and competences of this Office, while the delegated officials presented their expertise so far.
The topic of joint discussions during this meeting was also the plan for standard operating procedures, the next steps of the Office, as well as the planning of field activities.
Apart from local authorities, representatives of the American Embassy in Prishtina, the British Embassy in Prishtina, the UNDP Office in Kosovo and the EU Office in Kosovo also participated in this meeting.