KPS spokesman: Kasumi's death "probably an accident"

Serbian Press Agency SRNA, 03-01-2007 13:20:10

 

VUCITRN - During the course of the investigation in last night's incident in which a member of the Kosovo Police Service, Avni Kasumi, was killed, three Serbs have been arrested, two of whom have been detained, and several Serb houses in the village of Babin Most, Vucitrn municipality, have been searched, confirmed KPS spokesman Veton Elshani.

 

Elshani said that what happened was probably an accident, that is, that it is assumed that Kasumi was killed by a stray bullet.

 

"During the course of New Year's holidays in Kosmet, there are too many weapons in use, which also resulted in the death of Kosumi," said Eshlani.

 

"Stojan Danic and Radovan Vuckovic were detained in the police station in Vucitrn, while Vukasin Simic was released after questioning and prohibited from leaving.

 

Between 7:00 and 9:30 a.m. members of the KPS searched the houses of the families Simic, Dancetovic and Vuckovic in Babin Most.

 

SRNA's correspondent reports that this morning's searches and arrests have frightened the 750 Serbs in this village, who live completely surrounded by Albanians.

 

The International Press Center of the Coordinating Center in Kosovska Mitrovica issued a statement regarding the incident in which it accuses the KPS of "taking advantage of Kasumi's death to mistreat the Serbs in Babin Most for hours".

 

The statement says that Kasumi "according to unofficial sources, is yet another victim of Albanian outlaws and terrorist gangs".

 

"The KPS has taken advantage of a terrorist crime to mistreat the Serbs in Babin Most for hours even though it is clear to the Kosovo police and KFOR and UNMIK that the criminals are elsewhere," says the statement.

 

The statement assesses that "today's unscrupulous mistreatment of Serbs, who have been living for the past seven years in fear and in completely unfriendly Albanian surroundings, can be described as yet another brutal anti-Serb operation by the government of Agim Ceku".

 

Kasumi (41) died last night at 1:30 a.m. on the highway from Pristina to Kosovska Mitrovica when he was hit in the head from a firearm.

 

Physicians at the hospital in Vucitrn also confirmed that Kasumi was hit in the head from a firearm.