Kosovo Prosecution Indicts Ibrahim Rugova’s Son

The Special Prosecution has raised an indictment against former MP Uke Rugova, the son of the late President Ibrahim Rugova, for alleged involvement in a visa scam.

Uke Rugova. Photo: Facebook

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution has filed an indictment against former MP Uke Rugova and a number of other individuals over an alleged scam concerning Italian visas.

The indictment on the son of Kosovo’s late President, Ibrahim Rugova, which charges him with organised crime, was announced on Wednesday.

Police from the EU rule of law mission EULEX first arrested him in February 2014 when he was a member of the Kosovo assembly, over a scam with Italian visas, which were allegedly being sold by Rugova and nine associates.

According to the charges, Rugova led a criminal group that falsified travel documents for Kosovo nationals, illegally securing EU Schengen zone visas for them in exchange for as much as 3,500 euros per visa.

Around 300 Kosovars have reportedly travelled to Italy using the visas acquired through this group, which had ties with the Italian embassy, according to authorities.

At the time of the affair, several Italian embassy officials were removed, while the former Italian ambassador to Pristina, Louis Michael Giffoni, did not have his mandate renewed.