The five-member jury awarded the ‘Jeta ne Kosove’ television television program and KALLXO.com team with a second-place prize for the investigation “Organized tax fraud,” which revealed that over 300 Kosovar businesses were involved in tax evasion through shell companies.

The investigation also revealed that the state prosecutor went after the shell companies, which had homeless and poverty-stricken people listed as owners, instead of the actual companies that benefitted from the scheme.

Whistleblower reveals “industrial scale” tax fraud in Kosovo

Accepting the prize, Faik Ispahiu, the show’s producer and director of KALLXO.com, said that to this day the same prosecutor was handling the case, and instead of being punished, he was being rewarded with a trip to the US.

“We are still waiting for the results of our investigation,” said Ispahiu,.

Leonard Kerquku from Gazeta Express was awarded with first place for his television documentary “The HQ of Millionaires.”

Third place was awarded to Vehbi Kajtazi from Insajder for the “Dossier of Bosses”  series, which revealed cronyism and corruption within the high structures of one of the governing parties, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK.

This is the second time that Jeta ne Kosove is awarded with a prize for investigative journalism by the European Union, after receiving an earlier award for the investigation into the Stents Affair.

The awarding jury was composed of Imer Mushkolaj, Anamari Repiq, Lindita Tahiri, Besa Luci and Evliana Berani.

During the ceremony, Luigi Brusa, Head of Cooperation Section of the EU office, said that his organization is pleased to support people who support the principles of the European Union.