ELEVEN KOSOVO ALBANIANS CHARGED FOR MURDER OF FIVE-MEMBER ALBANIAN FAMILY

Pristina: The international prosecutor in Pristina has filed charges against 11 Kosovo Albanians for the murder of a five-member Hajra family from Glogovac municipality in August 2001, UNMIK UN Mission in Kosovo spokesman Andrea Agnelli said. A year and a half after the murder of the couple - Miradija and Hamza Hajra - and their three children, the plot has finally started to unravel with the charges filed against several members of the Kosovo Protection Corps KZK formed round the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army KLA and the Kosovo Police Service KPS . After a lengthy investigation, charges were filed against five members of the Kicina family and another six Albanians, all from the Banjica area, Glogovac municipality. Seven are charged with murder, association for the purpose of committing a criminal act and involvement in a criminal group, Agnelli said. Of these seven, four were members of the KZK at the time of the arrest. One of them is KZK Col Skender Halili (aged 41). All seven are in custody. The other four are members of the KPS. They were charged with aiding and abetting. Three have been granted bail and the fourth is in custody, the UNMIK spokesman said.

Source: Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in Serbian 1424 gmt 8 Feb 03

Copyright 2003 Financial Times Information
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire 
Copyright 2003 BBC Monitoring/BBC  
BBC Monitoring International Reports

EXCERPT: Albanians charged over family's murder in Kosovo

PRISTINA, Serbia and Montenegro, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Kosovo's U.N.-led administration said on Saturday 11 ethnic Albanians had been charged over the murder of a Kosovo Albanian family known among locals for collaborating with Serbian authorities.

10:53 ET   Copyright 2003 Reuters

Posted for Fair Use Only