Press Statement
7 June 2010Board of The Press Council of Kosovo, in its meeting today, reviewed three complaints and made these decisions.
Appeal of Hasan Jashari defence lawyer representing interests of Lulzim Rexha, former employee of the printing house Interpress R. Company "Kosova Sot" who suffered an accident at work on October 13, 2004, when it lost a hand up under the elbow. The case has to do with his unpublished answer (response) on newspaper "Kosova Sot" after a series of articles on newspaper, on April 14, 2010.
He and the judge of the Municipal Court in Pristina, Makifete Saliuka, sought from this newspaper to publish their reactions, but this did not happen. The damaged Lulzim Rexha has managed to win as compensation some rights from the three trials of the Kosovo judicial institutions.
The newspaper "Kosova Sot" did not published response Lulzim Rexha`s lawyer and by doing so violated Chapter IV of the Code of The Press Council of Kosovo (The right to respond). . PCK calles on the newspaper "Kosova Sot" to find common language with the lawyer Hasan Jashari to prepare for publication a compressed version of his letter, edited free of excess things much less of insults.
The appeal of the General Auditor of Kosovo, Lage Olofsson, against the newspaper "Lajm" after the publication on May 12, 2010, of a draft report of the Auditor entitled: "Guidance without overlay" dealing with the financial statements of 2009 of Kosovo's Health Ministry, PCK found that in this case there is no violation of the Code of The Press Council of Kosovo.
Newspaper "Lajm" has used its own sources and skills finding the draft report, reflected in the newspaper without changes in compliance with Chapter II on reporting the truth, and also has respected Chapter IV of the Code of The Press Council of Kosovo (right to respond) when published entirely the response of the Auditor General of Kosovo.
Newspaper "Lajm" also called the pronunciation of the Ministry of Health regarding this confidential draft report, but has failed to get any response. Under the Code of The Press Council of Kosovo, newspaper "Lajm" would have to publish the final document when it is ready, for the sake of the full information of the public.