Gabriele Meucci says that so far about 20 suspects have been identified who may be subject to an indictment for war crimes committed in 1999 in Gjakova/Djakovica.

The head of the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, told the Belgrade-based Vecernje Novosti daily that he did not wish to reveal their names. The newspaper, however, noted that it has already been disclosed that former Military Security Agency (VBA) chief General Momir Stojanovic was on the list.

He is now an MP from the ruling SNS party and serves as chair of the Serbian Parliament's Committee on Control of Security Services.

"With these warrants EULEX prosecutors have only initiated an investigation of war crimes in the Djakovica municipality committed on April 27 and 28 1999 that include Meje, Orize and other villages in the area," said Meucci.

Asked whether EULEX has the legitimacy to be a judicial authority in Kosovo after fierce accusations of corruption leveled against it by one of its prosecutors, Maria Bamieh, Meucci said those allegations are the subject of criminal proceedings.

"I made sure the investigative team has all the necessary resources to complete its work, so at this point we have to wait to for the procedure and the ongoing investigation to be completed. I firmly believe that the truth will eventually prevail," he added.

Asked to comment on the fact that "since the arrival of the international community" the justice system in Kosovo did not investigate any serious criminal offense committed against Serbs, Meucci said that these cases "can always be reopened if new evidence emerges."

"The investigation in connection with the Nis Express bus was stopped in order to preserve the case until the emergence of new evidence, and can be reopened at any time. The case Staro Gracko case is being reviewed by a prosecutor. The Gorazdevac case was initially investigated by UNMIK, and several years passed since we took over. If additional evidence emerges, we will not reject it," said Meucci.