A well-known restaurateur from the North, Goran Drazevic, whose family home and restaurant were shot at following the visit of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Saturday, denied that he did an official interview with an Insajderi journalist. Drazevic confirmed that he spoke on the phone several times in Albanian with people who introduced themselves as journalists. He, however, claims that he did not give any media statements and that he refused the journalists’ requests to visit him and report on the shooting. He also emphasized that he does not remember their names or the names of the media which asked for interviews. He addressed our newsroom last night after a story was published on him by Pristina-based Insajderi, and then translated and rebroadcasted by KoSSev.
„It’s true that they called me yesterday and today. They introduced themselves as journalists in Albanian. I don’t recall whether they mentioned which media outlet they are working for. I speak Albanian. They asked me if they could come and film. I refused, while one of them was quite persistent – he said that he will come and that he will call me again tomorrow. I told everyone that I do not want any kind of filming. I did not want to report the shooting to the police either, and I reported it really late,“ Drazevic told KoSSev over the phone.
When asked whether he gave any telephone statements to journalists or whether he was aware that his responses to journalists were taken as a statement, Drazevic replied:
„I was not. I discouraged the journalists – I don’t want them to come and I don’t want to do an interview for them. They were persistent. Especially one of them. He asked me about the attack, and I did speak about the shooting and what happened. That I did see Thaci here – I did, I cannot say now something that didn’t happen. But I did not give a statement at any time. Neither did I say that I worked for the Serbian Army.“
Drazevic described Thaci’s visit for KoSSev in the following manner:
„A few people came here to the balcony, near the coast, and they asked me if I could bring them coffee. I said yes and I thought they were some sort of security. When I brought the coffee, I saw Thaci and an acquaintance from my area – Sipolje, where most of the population is Albanian. I was really surprised. He even invited me to sit with them and I politely replied that I am not allowed. We talked in Albanian and we exchanged several courtesy sentences. My acquaintance from Sipolje recognized me. He said that he knows me. He worked in a business premises close to me while I was in Sipolje. I was surprised when I discovered that he is now Thaci’s chief finance officer (Minister of Finance). I didn’t even know that.“
Drazevic said that he is having a tough time after everything that happened.
„They started shooting around 03:10h. We were sleeping. It was calm afterward, but my family was very scared and my son, too“ – he described the attack.
Drazevic said that the police only showed up once and only after he reported the incident. The municipality promised that someone will visit him, but they have not done so yet.
„No one from the police and none of them (from the municipality) came today,“ he said.
Apart from the fact that his family was threatened and their safety is his top priority, Drazevic said that he is also having a tough time himself as he enjoyed, from his fellow countrymen, the reputation of a hardworking and friendly man, who lives by his work and „on his own.“
„I have never heard anything bad being said about me, nor had anyone looked at me in a wrong way. They know that I welcome, as a good Serbian host, whoever comes here. I live in harmony with my fellow countrymen,“ Drazevic also told KoSSev last night.
The Pristina-based Insajderi portal published a conversation with Goran Drazevic yesterday under the title „The owner of the restaurant confirmed that the armed attack was carried out after serving coffee to Thaci„. The news was later picked up by other Kosovo media. In the meantime, Belgrade based media also reported the same story.
The restaurant „Kod Drazevica“ in the municipality of Zubin Potok was shot at on the night between Saturday and Sunday. The Drazevic family was sleeping in the house, above the restaurant at the time. This building is located near the Brnjak crossing, on the shore of Gazivode Lake. It is a popular haven for rest and recreation. Goran Drazevic is considered one of favourite restaurateurs in the north of Kosovo.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
