The Basic Court in Prishtina ordered a 30-day detention for KRU Gjakova CEO Hasan Krasniqi for the misuse of his official duties and falsifying documents on Thursday.

Krasniqi was arrested two days ago based on suspicions raised following an October 2024 KALLXO.com investigation that shed light on how the water supply company purchased a non-customs cleared boat from a company established just a month before winning the tender.

The investigation found out that KRU Gjakova purchased a small boat for 24,500 euros which was then seized by the Customs and Police of Kosovo due to issues with customs clearance. 

On July 9, 2024, KRU Gjakova issued a tender for the purchase of a boat that would be used for monitoring, inspecting, and maintaining the Radoniqi Lake. Fourteen days later, the company ‘Lind Fix’ was registered with the Kosovo Business Registration Agency, ARBK,  and on August 16, 2024, KRU Gjakova signed a 25,400 euro contract with ‘Lind Fix’ for the purchase of the boat.

It was later discovered that proper customs procedures had not been followed for this boat, which led to an investigation and its seizure by the Kosovo Police and Customs. 

Kosovo Customs confirmed on October 22, 2024, that the boat had not gone through the proper customs process, following a request from the Kosovo Police for verification.

Hasan Krasniqi, the CEO of KRU Gjakova, claimed that he was not well-informed about the incident. Krasniqi was also a candidate for the LVV in the 2021 local elections.

Krasniqi’s lawyer, Arianti Koci, responded to the Special Prosecutor’s request for detention, calling it a “textbook case” showing how justice is applied differently for different people. 

“While we have public information that there are high-ranking state officials suspected of embezzling millions of euros and they haven’t been held in detention for even a minute, continuing with regular procedures, the prosecutor is requesting detention for Krasniqi for a case involving something worth around 3,000 euros.”

He further added that the procurement process was carried out through the e-procurement platform.

“In Kosovo, ships are not sold, a ship was needed to be purchased because there was a risk to an international grant related to the ‘Body-Metri’ project for the Radoniqi Lake, and it was a condition set by the grant provider that KRU Gjakova must have a ship,” he added.

Hasan Krasniqi defended himself against the accusations, supporting his lawyer’s statement and denying the criminal charges. 

He clarified that the company’s plan was to purchase a boat for 2024, but after the first tender failed, they were forced to lease one due to the ‘Flow’ project.

“The lease agreement has been drafted by the legal office and an agreement for renting was reached, while the procurement office proceeded with the tendering process,” he stated.

In relation to another investigation by KALLXO.com, Krasniqi was arrested on a Tuesday, just days after a previous investigation linked him to illegal procurement practices involving the servicing of company vehicles.