The internal auditor for the municipality of Fushë Kosovë was systematically sidelined and ultimately dismissed after exposing irregularities in public contracts— specifically contracts for the construction and renovation of sports facilities—despite clear legal provisions meant to shield employees who report corruption.
Shyqeri Krasniqi, an internal auditor of the Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje municipality who spoke out about irregularities in public contracting, claims he was dismissed in retaliation for his reports—despite the legal safeguards that should have protected him.
Krasniqi, told KALLXO.com on May 22, 2025, that he was suspended after reporting breaches in the public procurement processes—specifically breaches involving the construction and renovation of sports halls.
“In June 2022, I attempted to audit municipal investments in sports halls. The moment I started [the audit], the process was stopped. Engineers refused interviews and I was eventually isolated,” Krasniqi told KALLXO.com.
The Kosovo law on whistleblowing provides protection to public and private sector employees who report corruption, but recent developments in the municipality of Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje raise concerns about whether the law is being properly implemented.
According to Krasniqi, his termination followed soon after he sent files to the prosecution and later made the findings public, following the Kosovo whistleblowing law which foresees that a whistleblower is legally protected for publicly exposing abuse if they have followed internal and external institutional protocols first.
In April 2025, Krasniqi showed his findings to KALLXO.com. He claims to have received a performance evaluation from his employers within six days of the Kallxo Përnime TV program—a BIRN and Internews Kosova co-production—having reported on his whistleblower account.
“Later on, they gave me another performance evaluation for 2024—in April and May of 2025—well outside the proper assessment timeline,” he explained.
He believes the evaluations were manipulated as part of a campaign to justify his dismissal.
Thousand of euros spent on unusable sports halls
The Sports Hall in Pomozotin village of Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje municipality on 2025. Photo: BIRN
From 2018 to 2020, Fushë Kosovë municipality allocated nearly 830,000 euros for the construction of six sports halls in various villages. However, Krasniqi’s audits and an on-site investigation by KALLXO.com revealed severe flaws in their construction and design.
KALLXO.com found that even after renovations in 2023—worth over 313,000 euros—problems with the infrastructure remained unresolved.
Krasniqi submitted evidence of the mismanagement of public funds to the prosecution in 2023. His findings led to a prosecutorial investigation against at least eleven people for the mismanagement of public funds relating to the construction of the sports halls. Nine of the individuals being investigated are public officials.
According to Krasniqi, what best illustrates the facts of this case is a comparison between a fully functional sports hall built in 1994 and the newer sports halls constructed between 2018 and 2021, which continue not to be functional despite expensive investments and renovations .
“They spent over 300,000 euros again in 2024 on renovations, but the facilities remain unusable,” Krasniqi stated.
According to him, issues included leaky roofs, poor flooring substitutions (laminate instead of sports parquet), warped surfaces, cracked walls, missing sports equipment, and unhygienic restrooms, which KALLXO.com confirmed during their investigation on the field.
“Mushrooms began growing in one of the sports halls, in the village of Lismir ,” he revealed.
Lack of awareness of legal protections
Krasniqi claims the Fushë Kosovë municipal leadership never held the annual staff meetings required by law to educate employees about whistleblower protections.
“Even though it’s legally mandated to inform staff about their rights under the whistleblower law, this has never happened,” he said.
“Most employees are too afraid to even like my posts, let alone speak to me openly.”
He recalled an instance when a project manager cried in front of him for fear of repercussions if he submitted a report.
Krasniqi alleges that institutional pressure began in 2023 after he submitted his files to the prosecutor’s office. Within days, he received performance evaluations conducted without following the official protocol. Although he wasn’t immediately dismissed, his duties were suspended and he remained on payroll without being allowed to work.
“That caused unnecessary financial damage to the budget,” he added.
He went on to describe the uncomfortable and intimidating environment he was in during questioning by the Prosecution. He claimed he was surrounded by numerous people during the interrogation process, but that nobody acknowledged his rights and protections under whistleblower law.
“When the Kallxo Përnime broadcast aired (in April 2025), many employees privately congratulated me, but no one dared to publicly. They wouldn’t even shake my hand in the municipality,” he said.
Krasniqi also criticised systemic manipulation in the public procurement process, particularly in project planning documentation.
“Crucial details are often left out of project descriptions. There’s intentional vagueness and when one supervisory commission refuses to sign, they just form a new one,” he explained.
In response to two negative performance evaluations, he submitted a 56-page complaint to the Independent Oversight Board, challenging what he considers politically motivated actions.
“Instead of punishing those responsible for contract violations, I am the one facing punishment,” he concluded.
Fushë Kosovë municipality has not answered Prishtina Insight’s request for a comment on the matter.
This article was prepared in English by Ardita Zeqiri.