Kosovo Mayor Jailed For Extortion

Xhabir Zharku was found guilty of the crimes, along with three other defendants, at Pristina’s district court on Thursday.

In July 2006, Zharku, alongside Arsim Kolshi, Besnik Hasani and Nusret Cena, threatened to kill the winner in the auction of a publicly owned sheep farm unless he withdrew his bid.

The threatened man did so, allowing the second highest bidder, Kolshi, to buy the 30 hectares of land.

When police searched Zharku’s property, they found two automatic weapons, made in Iran, as well as explosives and a mortar.

Zharku, who was also mayor at the time of the offences, has been handed three years of imprisonment on the charge of extortion and given a fine of 1500 Euro on the charge of unlawful possession of weapons.

Kolshi was sentenced to three years prison for extortion and given a fine of 1500 Euro for the unlawful possession of weapons.

Besnik Hasani was sentenced to one year and two months prison and Nusret Cena was sentenced to one year and two months prison.

The prosecution was represented by an EULEX prosecutor from Kosovo’s Special Prosecution Office, SPRK.