The criminal proceedings against Željko Bojić, the former head of operations of the Kosovo Police for the North, have been officially dismissed due to the statute of limitations, KoSSev has learned from a decision issued by the Basic Court in Mitrovica.
Bojić was charged with two criminal offenses allegedly committed in his official capacity a decade ago during a drug seizure operation.
The case originated from a 2015 incident in North Mitrovica, when the Kosovo Police Anti-Drug Unit conducted a drug seizure operation involving a Land Rover carrying a substantial quantity of narcotics.
According to the indictment, several individuals allegedly obstructed the operation on Bojić’s orders.
KosovaPress: Bojić se tereti da je umešan u opstrukciju akcije iz 2015. godine
The charges were formally filed on June 19, 2020.
The case was dismissed in April this year, as confirmed in a court document signed by Judge Bekim Veliqi, who took over the case in 2021. The court concluded that the proceedings could not legally continue, as more than ten years had passed since the alleged offense — surpassing the statutory deadline for prosecution.
Under Kosovo law, criminal prosecution must be initiated within five years for offenses carrying a sentence longer than three years’ imprisonment. In Bojić’s case, the ten-year limit expired on January 23, 2025, the court ruled.
Efforts had been made to secure Bojić’s appearance before the court, including a warrant for his arrest issued on May 23, 2022.
However, a police report dated June 1 of that year stated Bojić was “on the run” and no longer within the jurisdiction of the North Mitrovica Police Station. Local and international warrants were subsequently requested in August 2022.
The court determined that “absolute statute of limitations” had been reached, legally barring any further prosecution. All procedural costs will be covered by the state budget, and parties have three days to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals in Pristina.
The indictment also includes Milan Ristović, who faces the same charges as Bojić, along with an additional charge of unauthorized photography and recording. The court’s decision did not specify whether the statute of limitations also applies to Ristović or if proceedings against him continue.
Bojić had previously been linked — though never formally charged — to the 2018 murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanović, as a suspected member of an organized criminal group. He was among a group of individuals sanctioned by the U.S. government, though no indictment was filed against him at the time due to his fugitive status.
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