Project manager of the NGO Center for Representation of Democratic Culture Milena Jevtić today said that a poll that was carried out in northern Kosovo has shown that corruption is one of the biggest problems of the society.

“According to citizens, corruption is mostly spread within police, education and health sectors, followed by courts, customs, central and local administration,” said Jevtić. She added that corruption should be fought in a systematic manner, whereas residents should be encouraged to report corruption to relevant institutions.

The regional head of Kosovo Police Operations Department Željko Bojić said that only one case of corruption was registered following the establishment of the regional police in northern Kosovo in second half of 2013, and it was about the police officer from their ranks.

Regional Kosovo Police Directorate ‘Mitrovica North’ doesn’t have a specialized unit to deal with corruption, thus these cases are being investigated by a specialized police unit from police headquarters in Pristina.

The head of the Administrative Office Mitrovica North Adrijana Hodžić argues that it is responsibility of the local leadership to assist in creating mechanisms that will start fighting corruption.

At the round table organized by the NGO in Mitrovica North Hodžić stressed that corruption is not the phenomenon that is spread only in the north but throughout the region, however she explained that corruption has its specifics here due to a long term lack of the rule of law. She appealed on citizens not to be the part of the corruption chains and called officials to respect the professional ethics and honor the fact that they have the opportunity to be at citizens’ service.

It was also said at the round table that establishment of an anti-corruption forum is being planned, which would gather organizations and activists from the civil society aiming at providing sustainability of the anti-corruption actions in northern Kosovo.