Medicus case to be reinvestigated

2 March 2011 | 10:28 | Source: Tanjug

PRIŠTINA -- The EULEX appeals commission has decided to accept the appeal lodged by the prosecutor in the Medicus clinic case and return the case to investigative judge. The judge will reinvestigate the allegations of illegal transplantation of human organs in Priština. Late in January, the EULEX investigative judge ruled that certain evidence presented by the prosecutor were unacceptable. The prosecutor lodged an appeal on the ruling. On Tuesday, the appeals commission denied the earlier decision and returned the case to the investigative judge, the statement issued by EULEX reads. During 2010, EULEX pressed charges twice in the Medicus case, a privately owned clinic in Priština where illegal organ transplanting took place. The accused are several surgeons and a person who used to work in the Kosovo Health Ministry, whereas the organ transplant donors and recipient were of various ethnicities. The case was initiated by Kosovo police and UNMIK in November 2008. Later, EULEX continued investigation under the supervision of the Kosovo Special Prosecutor's Office. In January, the Turkish authorities first arrested and then released surgeon Yusuf Sonmez, who is suspected of involvement in human organ trafficking in Kosovo. After being questioned by in Istanbul, Sonmez, nicknamed by the media as “Doctor Vulture” and “Doctor Frankenstein”, denied all allegations. He denied that organ trafficking took place, and added that he had faith in the legal system and that he was released after questioning.