UNMIK/PR/1599
PRISTINA – Two people were convicted today in the Municipal Court of Pristina of offences related to illegal reconnection to the electricity supply. Both defendants were sentenced to five months in prison for electricity theft and seven months imprisonment for tampering with a sealed connection box.
The court’s findings were based on evidence that each defendant owed more than 1,000 euros to KEK for outstanding electricity bills, for which KEK had disconnected their electricity supply. Each defendant had illegally removed the official seal, placed on their electricity meter by KEK, and had reconnected themselves to the electricity network.
The Judge told the defendants that all the citizens of Kosovo are the victims of theft from KEK – when consumers do not pay for the electricity they use, we all suffer from power shortages. The Judge said that deterring other people from committing crimes against KEK was an important factor in deciding on the sentencing of the defendants.
The court ordered that one defendant must serve 30 days of imprisonment and one defendant serve 15 days of imprisonment (each defendant will be allowed to attend any legitimate employment during the period of imprisonment) and that the balance of their sentence be suspended upon the conditions that they do not commit any other criminal offence within the next 5 years and that they either enter into a debt settlement agreement with KEK/continue an existing debt settlement agreement and meet the agreed payments to KEK. If the defendants do not abide by these conditions they will be required to serve the balance of their sentence of imprisonment.
One further case of illegal reconnection to the electricity supply was tried in the Pristina Municipal Court on 25 October 2006. The verdict will be announced shortly.
These criminal prosecutions were brought by an International Prosecutor of UNMIK’s Department of Justice, following referrals by KEK. These prosecutions are part of the Department of Justice’s on-going support for KEK in combating illegal reconnections and non-payment of electricity charges. The Department of Justice has trained KEK lawyers on the successful prosecution of illegal reconnection cases and will continue to support KEK in the prosecution of these cases.