Money intended for the Serbian community in Kosovo has disappeared en route from Belgrade to Kosovo, a small part which arrived to Kosovo has been abused by local businesses, local politicians and officials in Belgrade – says Krstimir Pantic, a former mayor of Kosovska Mitrovica. In an interview with Vesti he reflects on the anniversary of the Brussels Treaty.
Does the report of the Inquiry committee on the spending of budget funds in Kosovo absolutely show the picture of what was going on?
– The Board of Inquiry did not have to come to Kosovo. To my knowledge, in 2009 the Special Court in Belgrade was provided with evidence of fraud in Kosovo. Money was disappearing on the road from Belgrade to Kosovo and Metohija, a small part of it which ended in Kosovo was abused by local businesses, local politicians and officials in Belgrade. Kosovo was instantaneous water heater for theft of money, but the money did not remain in Kosovo and Metohija.
But where it ended?
– In Belgrade. Oil and derivatives did not arrive to Kosovo and Metohija but in tanks was transported industrial water which was drained into the Ibar river after crossing the administrative border. It seems to me that this is not in the report of the Inquiry Committee. And Zoran Ostojic has drawn attention to it, a member of the Committee for KiM of the Assembly of Serbia. These criminal acts were not done by Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, but by someone who at the time was very powerful and I wish the Inquiry Committee was more precise.
The main reason for your resignation you mentioned disagreement with Vulin. What you objected the most?
– All I wanted to say about him I said on January 11th of 2014, when I resigned from the post of deputy director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.
In the new Parliament there will not be some members who represented the interests of Serbs from KiM?
– And what good they did for KiM? DSS and DS were in power from the “democratic change” and we always had members from this area but ministries or institutions responsible for KiM were mostly led by people who do not know Kosovo. This is why we have not achieved anything. If Kostunica acted as a statesman in 2004 or 2008, today we would have a different reality on the ground. I support the direct election of representatives, and not, as up to now, they get into the Assembly in the order of the list although they are unable to provide even a hundred votes.
It’s the Brussels Treaty anniversary, what is the biggest gain for the Serbs?
– There is no gain. The fact is that the state with the agreement decided to abolish some of its institutions in KiM. However, if this was not done by agreement, most probably it would be done by force and with casualties. The leas bad solution was chosen, quiet integration of the north into Kosovo institutions, which is why the Brussels agreement was made. Serbs were given the legal, but not legitimate representatives, because more than 80 per cent of Serbs did not vote. The international community can say that their mediation was successful and crucial, and Albanians that they have circled their statehood. However, the real situation is that no one has a reason to be happy.
The deteriorating security
– Citizens slowly realize that promises are not fulfilled. This is why it happened for the first time since 1999 that KPS was shoot at in Zubin Potok, and there was intrusion into the police station. It is true that there had been incidents, but it all happened in a crisis. In order that someone has complete freedom of movement, one must accept Pristina institutions and has Kosovo documents. Even then safety is not guaranteed to anyone, and the best examples are returnee sites in the South, where Serbs daily experience inconvenience.
Vulin in the air
Aleksandar Vucic said at the meeting of the General Board of SNS that the money was spent inappropriately in the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and it is Aleksandar Vulin who most visited KiM, not his staff. Only Vulin used a helicopter to Raska and he did it many times.
