Indictment against six people for usury/ They benefited from 1.4 million euros, 21 apartments and premises

2025-10-01 14:43:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Indictment against six people for usury/ They benefited from 1.4 million euros,

The Basic Prosecution Office in Prizren has filed an indictment against six individuals, who are suspected of having, separately, received usury, totaling 1.4 million euros. The authorities have requested the confiscation and return of 21 apartments and business premises that were given to the defendants by the injured parties, as they could not repay the debt.

An indictment for usury has been filed against LM, BK, LA, Xh.K., DG, and KK, while LM, and Xh.K. are also suspected of unauthorized possession of weapons, while DG is also charged with coercion.

The Prizren Prosecution has provided details for each case. According to the indictment, LM, has given the injured party MK a loan of 20 thousand euros with an interest of 10 percent. The injured party has not been able to return the money and has been forced to give him an apartment of 123.8 square meters worth 70 thousand euros. In 2020, according to the indictment, the defendant receives another 10 thousand euros with a monthly interest of 10 percent, where the debt reaches 14 thousand euros.

"Due to the inability to repay the debt, the injured party is forced to give another apartment in the village of Shiroka with an area of ??80 square meters and a market value of 52 thousand euros. In total, from the interest and accumulated debts, the injured party has paid about 92 thousand euros in damages, respectively, large-scale losses," the announcement said.

During searches at LM's house in Koriša, Prizren, authorities found 51 cartridges, which he was carrying without a permit.

The second case is against BK, who in 2021 had lent MK the amount of 75 thousand euros with a monthly interest of 8 percent. The interest and debt have increased drastically, reaching the amount of 240 thousand euros by May 2023, said the Basic Prosecution Office in Prizren.

"Due to the inability to return this money, the injured party is forced to give the defendant the apartment with an area of ??300 square meters and a business premises of 242 square meters, which together are worth 205 thousand 700 euros. This has caused great financial damage to the injured party in the amount of 280 thousand 700 euros ," the announcement said.

The other defendant in usury, LA, from April 2022 until the start of the investigation, is said to have lent the injured party MK a loan in the amount of 7 thousand euros in Suhareka with a ten-day interest of 2 thousand euros, "forcing the injured party to pay an amount several times greater than the actual debt."

When the injured party did not have money to pay the debt, the defendant, according to the Prosecution, offered him various goods as "reward", such as a tractor, several bulls and cows.

"Furthermore, the defendant has entered into a preliminary contract for the acquisition of an apartment with an area of ??100 square meters and a shop with an area of ??100 square meters on the ground floor and a garage with a total value of 180 thousand euros, causing great financial damage to the injured party LK and his brother MK ," said the Prizren Prosecution Office.

Meanwhile, regarding the accused identified with the initials Xh.K., the Prosecution said that from 2022 until the beginning of the investigations, in Suhareka he, "taking advantage of the difficult financial situation" had given the injured party MK a debt of 10 thousand euros with a monthly interest of 30 percent.

The authorities said that the injured party paid 3 thousand euros per month for a year, giving the accused 36 thousand euros in interest, while the basic debt remained unpaid. Unable to pay the debt, the injured party gave the accused Xh.K. cows worth 36 thousand euros, paying off a debt of 37 thousand euros to another person "and in exchange they drew up a preliminary contract for the sale and purchase of a 100 square meter premises with a declared value of only 20 thousand euros, in the name of the injured party's brother's wife".

" During a meeting on 23.08.2024, the defendant stated that the injured party's obligations towards him had reached the amount of 129 thousand euros, including two cars worth 21 thousand euros. With these actions, the injured parties MK and LK were caused significant damage ," the announcement said.

Xh.K. is also accused of illegal possession of weapons after two pistols, a magazine and cartridges were found on him.

Meanwhile, DG is accused of having loaned MK an amount of 20 thousand euros in 2021, with a monthly interest rate of 8 percent.

The prosecution said that for a month and a half, the injured party received a total of 120 thousand euros in cash, making the monthly interest amount to 10 thousand euros. According to the authorities, for 12 months he paid 120 thousand euros in interest.

" In June 2023, after the injured party cannot continue payments, the defendant demands from him and his brother LK the amount of 320 thousand euros in the name of interest, demanding in exchange 750 square meters of housing in the village of Shiroka. Out of fear, the injured parties accept, but due to delays in construction, in May 2024 the defendant requests an increase in the surface area of ??the housing to 1,180 square meters [equivalent to 11 apartments] and signs a preliminary contract dated 20.03.2023 for this sale and purchase. With these actions, the defendant causes the injured parties a significant loss of 767 thousand euros ," the announcement said.

DG, according to the Prosecution, from February 8, 2004, in Suhareka and Prishtina, used force and serious mayhem against the injured parties MK and LK, "to get them to give up their properties. On the same day, he took them by car and on the way, threatening MK, they reached an agreement to give up the 1,180 m² apartments in Shiroka as payment for debts and interest," the Prosecution said, saying that in this case he committed the criminal offense of coercion.

Meanwhile, the sixth defendant, KK, according to the Prosecution, is suspected of having, from July 2024 onwards, in Suhareka, given a debt to the victim MK in the amount of 2,600 euros with weekly interest of 450 euros.

"Due to the inability to pay, interest for 16 weeks is accumulated and together with the basic debt reaches 9 thousand 800 euros. These actions cause the injured party damage in the amount of 9 thousand 800 euros ," the announcement said.

The State Prosecutor has requested the confiscation of the means that enabled the commission of these criminal offenses and the property obtained, including apartments and premises with a total area of ??2,226 m2, cash worth 9,240 euros, 1,860 francs, weapons, telephones, vehicles, documents and other items.

The Basic Prosecution Office in Prizren has requested that the defendants be found guilty.

According to the Criminal Code of Kosovo, anyone found guilty of usury can be sentenced to a fine and imprisonment of six months to five years.

If this criminal offense causes financial loss to the injured party in the amount of over 10 thousand euros and if the perpetrator has gained the same amount of wealth, he can be sentenced to a fine and imprisonment from one to eight years./ REL