The Ferizaj Basic Court, on Monday, ordered a thirty-day detention for R.B., a minor suspected of murdering police officer Muhamet Lika in Kaçanik on April 1. During the day, the Kosovo police arrested a total of seven suspects.

In a press release after the decision, the court explained that “four 9.19 mm bullets were found at the scene and the medical teams at the Family Medicine Center in Kaçanik had determined the death of the victim M.L. was a result of the wounds received from the firearm shells.” 

“After committing the murder, the minor [helped by defendant D.] fled the scene in the direction of a bar, where he joined the defendant R.M., who had been waiting for him, and together they left” on foot.  The press release continues, explaining that “a voice was heard yelling ‘Bravo, run away’,” and camera footage has shown the minor also with the defendant V.Ç.

The “defendant H.B., about 14 minutes after the murder, arrived at the scene and left after 2 minutes,” the court explained.

Ferizaj Basic court told KALLXO.com that R.B. was found guilty of rape, in another case, and he has an active arrest warrant. The sentence, for the crime of rape he committed under the age of 16 years old was not implemented because he had not responded to the court ruling. 

R.B. was identified as a suspect in the murder of police sergeant Lika based on his clothes and because he was seen with other persons after the murder, KALLXO.com reported.

The Chief Prosecutor of Ferizaj, Burim Çerkini, told the media that, according to initial investigations, “the main motive is related to his work as a policeman, as a member of the Kosovo Police.” 

According to the prosecution, around 11:00 p.m. at the beginning of the month, on ‘Idriz Seferi’ street in Kaçanik, a minor, in collaboration with other persons with the initials H.B., R.M., V.Ç., E.L., Sh.K., and D.G., intentionally and with prior preparation, murdered police officer Lika.

The prosecution announced that the victim was going home after he finished his working hours. “He was continuously followed by the [suspected] adults to the entrance of his apartment,” the prosecution statement reads, adding that on the critical day, after Lika entered his apartment building “the juvenile also entered the residential building after him, where upon meeting the deceased, he shot at him with a firearm.”

Kosovo Police Director, Gazmend Hoxha, told the media that the suspects arrested on Monday in Kaçanik, in connection with the murder of a police officer, were previously arrested in connection with the case involving the burning of the courthouse in Kaçanik in March 2024. The suspects have other criminal records as well.

“Our sergeant was on official duty when these cases occurred and then worked in support of Police investigations, with the aim of shedding light on previous cases,” Hoxha said, claiming that “we have managed to secure evidence, testimony that links this criminal group to the murder of our sergeant. Some of them have had criminal pasts, have been involved in previous cases, and have been linked to extremist tendencies. They are suspicious, dangerous persons who we suspect have committed this murder and have planned and executed it.”

Hoxha explained that one of the suspects who was arrested on Monday is the son of a border police officer.

“In order to verify every possibility, the official weapon was seized,” during the raid of the suspect’s house, to clarify “whether it was accidentally used in this case or other cases,” Hoxha said.

He also emphasized that “so far, there are no arrested members of the Kosovo Police, there is one arrested person who was a former member of the [Kosovo Security Forces], FSK.”  

Acting Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, told KALLXO.com that the suspect is “Rilind Murati [who] served in the FSK for one year and in 2022 he was demobilized.”

After the arrests, acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, went to Facebook saying that “Muhamed Lika, his family, the Kosovo Police, the people, and the state demand and deserve justice. Zero tolerance.”