On December 6, at the Civic Energy Center in North Mitrovica, a panel discussion focused on “The Fight Against Corruption in Municipalities with a Serb Majority from the Perspective of Journalists from Serb Media in Kosovo” was conducted.
Organized by the NGOs Aktiv and ACDC, the discussion was participated by journalists, civil society representatives, politicians, and citizens.
Nenad Radosavljević, the director of RTV Mir in Leposavic, highlighted numerous alarming indicators of corruption, bribery, and crime in Serbian communities in Kosovo. He emphasized that extensive damage was inflicted on citizens due to corrupt activities in the municipality of Leposavić between 2013 and 2017.
“Up until today, no one has been held accountable for the misuse of funds. Responsibility for corruption lies not only with local governments but also with institutions failing to take appropriate actions. Competent authorities exhibit inadequate responses, with Kosovo institutions showing minimal interest in combating corruption in Serbian municipalities,” stated Radosavljević.
Darko Dimitrijević, the editor-in-chief of Radio Goraždevac, testified to the pervasiveness of corruption across all segments of the Kosovo society. He clarified that corruption encompasses exchange of money, services, profits for the benefits related to personal or party business or other interests.
“Our society is deeply entrenched in corruption. With upcoming elections in Serbia, we’re investigating contracts potentially being allocated to specific individuals to influence voting for certain groups. Numerous individuals and companies have been blacklisted in the USA due to corruption,” Dimitrijević explained.
During the panel discussion, which was organized as part of the Anti-Corruption Week, representatives from civil society and journalists emphasized the necessity for media to place a stronger emphasis on investigative journalism. They advocated for additional financial support to research topics related to crime and corruption.
It was concluded that “journalists’ work on investigative topics is pivotal in fostering a more transparent society and reinforcing the rule of law within Serbian communities in Kosovo”.
This event is organized within the framework of the project Improving transparency and the rule of law in communities with a Serb-majority population, implemented by NGO AKTIV and Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC) with the financial support of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau (INL.).
