Thursday, March 19, 2009

Maldives bribed to recognize Kosovo?

The Maldivian parliament has launched an investigation into allegations that this country's government had recognized Kosovo in exchange for a USD 2mn bribe.

Parliament's national security committee that will investigate these claims will include the speaker and several MPs.

The Maldives foreign ministry officials will be interviewed, and official documents examined, Maldive's Minivan News reported today.

According to the media in this predominantly Muslim island nation in the Indian Ocean, which recognized Kosovo Albanians' unilateral independence declaration last month, the government officials, including foreign minister Ahmed Shaheed, had accepted a bribe from Behgjet Pacolli, who heads a Kosovo Albanian opposition party.

The price tag on the recognition was allegedly USD 2mn.

Pacolli was in Egypt last week, where a conference of the Arab League was held, "to lobby for independence", says Tanjug news agency.

He told Priština-based Albanian language daily Express that "three countries should recognize Kosovo by the end of March, one of them being Qatar".


Source: www.b92.net

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