PRISTINA, Dec 6 (Hina) - A man suspected of embezzling 4.5 million euros of international assistance intended for the Kosovo Power Industry (KEK) was arrested in Germany on Thursday, Deputy UN Civil Administrator in Kosovo Andy
Bearpart said in Pristina yesterday.
PRISTINA, Dec 6 (Hina) - A man suspected of embezzling 4.5 million
euros of international assistance intended for the Kosovo Power
Industry (KEK) was arrested in Germany on Thursday, Deputy UN Civil
Administrator in Kosovo Andy Bearpart said in Pristina yesterday.
#L#
Joe Trutschler, a former senior international official in the KEK,
who was in Kosovo as part of an EU mission, was arrested in Bohum
yesterday.
Bearpark told reporters that court proceedings against the suspect
were underway.
Members of the European office for the prevention of embezzlement
(OLAF) in July this year traced the 4.5 million euros of
international help to Kosovo in an account in Gibraltar. The
Supreme Court of Gibraltar froze the account at the request of the
UN Mission in Kosovo and the OLAF.
According to a statement issued by the OLAF, the office thwarted
Trutschler's attempt to transfer the money from Gibraltar to
Belize. In August this year the OLAF managed to return 3.2 million
euros to Kosovo's budget and recently initiated proceedings to
return the rest of the money.
The trial in the case will start in 2003 before Gibraltar's Supreme
Court.
(hina) rml