The Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo filed an indictment against 45 people, including Milan Radoičić, who were part of an armed group that attacked the Kosovo Police in the town of Banjska last September.
The government in Pristina labeled this attack as terrorist.
According to the prosecutor Naim Abazi, the accused had different roles within the criminal group - "from organizing and directing terrorist activities to financing and money laundering".
"Among the main defendants is an individual with a key position as the leader of the group, Milan Radoičić, who played an important role in coordination and criminal activities," Abazi told reporters in Pristina.
In an attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo on September 24, 2023, an armed group of Serbs attacked the police and killed policeman Afrim Bunjaku. Three Serb attackers were also killed in the exchange of fire.
Milan Radoičić, a former politician and businessman from the north of Kosovo, who is believed to be in Serbia, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Prosecutor Abazi also said that thanks to international cooperation with the United States, the countries of the European Union and others, the Prosecutor's Office managed to provide "evidence that helped to raise this strong indictment".
He said that during the investigation, "property, armored vehicles, cash and bank accounts suspected to have been obtained through illegal activities were confiscated."
According to him, "more than 1.266 weapons and other equipment" were confiscated.
"This action (confiscation) was aimed at preventing the use of these assets for further criminal activities by affecting the financial structure of this criminal group," Abazi said.
There are three people in custody in Kosovo who were arrested during the attack in Banjska.
RSE sources in the Special Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo stated in mid-July that the preparation of the indictment is in the final phase, and that "the investigation in the case of Radoičić will receive a final epilogue". They also stated that the indictment is not expected before autumn.
An international Interpol warrant was issued for Radoičić at the request of Kosovo through the United Nations Mission (UNMIK).
The investigation into the attack in Banjska Voda and the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, which through EULEX (European Union Rule of Law Mission) requested information from Kosovo about the Banjska case.
However, the Ministry of Justice of Kosovo confirmed to Radio Free Europe (RSE) on August 14 that this request was rejected.
The Ministry of Justice of Kosovo previously stated in its response to RFE/RL that Serbia's request contradicts several points of the Law on International Legal Cooperation, and that "only Kosovo's judicial authorities have jurisdiction to judge cases committed on the territory of the country".
It is also added that Kosovo never received a response from Serbia, to the request sent in October last year, "to hand over the criminals so that they could be brought to justice in the Republic of Kosovo".
This ministry also requested an international investigation into, as stated, "terrorist training bases on the territory of Serbia, Serbia's involvement in financing and supplying terrorists with weapons."
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Aljbin Kurti, made the continuation of the dialogue on the normalization of relations with Serbia conditional on the surrender of Milan Radoičić to the Kosovo judicial authorities.
"As long as Radoičić and his group are free and protected in Serbia, there is no confidence in the dialogue on the normalization of relations," Kurti said at the end of June.
The Serbian leadership has on several occasions denied any involvement in the attack in Banjska.
The international community strongly condemned the attack in Banjska and several times called on the authorities in Serbia to hold all those involved in the attack accountable.
Who is Milan Radoičić?
Milan Radoičić was the vice-president of the Serbian List, the largest party of Serbs in Kosovo, which enjoys the support of official Belgrade. He resigned from that position a few days after the attack in Banjska.
It is blacklisted by the United States and Great Britain due to its connection with international organized crime and corruption.
The US State Department sees him as "a criminal who must be held accountable."
In Kosovo, Radoičić is also linked to the murder of a Serbian opposition politician, and the intimidation of witnesses in court proceedings concerning illegal construction.
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