The High Crimes Department at the Peja Basic Prosecution raised an indictment against suspect Safete Tolaj for multiple criminal offenses, including abuse of office, destroying and concealing evidence as well as forging official documents.

Tolaj was indicted ten months after the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, television programme Drejtesia in Kosove released video footage of Tolaj’s son, Fisnik, accepting a bribe in exchange for influencing judicial proceedings.

Fisnik Tolaj also faces charges of fraud, exertion of influence, forgery, and illegal possession and use of weapons. A third person, identified only as G.Sh., is also suspected of abuse of office.

According to the indictment of the Basic Court of Peja, Safete Tolaj–who had initially, on January 2, sentenced a suspect with detention–had abused her office with the intention of financial profit when she changed the sentence to bail. The change happened on January 10 after G.Sh. met with Fisnik Tolaj and gave him 1,900 euros to influence judge Tolaj.

Additionally, the judge is charged with concealing archival materials taken from the Basic Court where she worked until January 13 when her house was raided by police. Original files, usually expected to be in court, were found at her house during the raid.

Furthermore, Tolaj is charged for enabling her son, the other suspect, to draft official documents, stamp documents with false content and abuse her official position.

The case is still ongoing, but the prosecution has demanded that the court finds the three suspects guilty of all charges.