Politicians' wealth declaration: Who got rich and who didn't?

Every year, the Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) publishes the assets that state officials declare they own. Apartments, land, cars, cash... Here's what you need to know from the latest declarations.

At the end of March 2021, the "Kurti II" government began its full mandate - a mandate that it is still continuing in office.

The acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, and his 15 ministers have all submitted asset declarations this year.

According to the data in these declarations, the acting Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, has significantly more money than her colleagues in her bank account.

However, since his first declaration in 2021, when he was appointed minister, Rizvanolli had declared over 191 thousand euros in cash.

She stated that she had earned this money during her previous engagements as a consultant and lecturer in various organizations and institutions, such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

For most of them, the bulk of their annual income comes from the salaries they receive for the positions they hold.

In addition to cash, state officials are also required to declare real estate in their possession and that of their immediate family members.

What about other politicians?

Other public officials are also required to declare their assets.

This list also includes political party officials, such as Memli Krasniqi of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Lumir Abdixhiku of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Ramush Haradinaj of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), President Vjosa Osmani, and Glauk Konjufca, who held the position of Speaker of Parliament for four years.

Their recently declared wealth – in terms of cash in their bank accounts – differs from what was declared four years ago. Some have become richer, while others have declared tens of thousands of euros less.

Of them, only Krasniqi of PDK has declared that he has no other annual income, apart from the salary of a public official.

AAK's Haradinaj, who stated that he earns most from the rents he receives from his properties, continued to invest in real estate in recent years.

How is the asset declaration verified?

The declaration of wealth by public persons in Kosovo has already started in 2007.

After completing the asset declaration process, the KPA, through a lottery, selects a certain number of public officials whose declared assets it verifies.

The law on asset declaration obliges senior public officials to declare their assets 30 days after assuming their new position, and then on an annual basis.

Failure to declare assets, according to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kosovo, is punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to three years, while false declaration of assets is punishable by a fine and imprisonment of six months to five years.

So far, none of the officials who have not declared their assets have been sentenced to imprisonment.

The Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, was sentenced at the end of 2022 to a fine of 700 euros by the Basic Court in Pristina, due to failure to declare assets for 2020 within the legal deadline./Radio Free Europe/