The Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency (KACA) has filed corruption charges against 159 officials of the interim Kosovo institutions, Director of the Agency Hasan Preteni stated in Pristina on Thursday.

According to a report presented in Pristina, corruption in Kosovo has increased by 34.61 percent comparing with 2008. Preteni said that most of the charges, 53 out of 175, are connected with corruption in the judiciary.

Head of the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Kosovo Pieter Feith has requested from Kosovo Prime Minister Hasim Taci to suspend a minister who is suspected of corruption, the Pristina daily Koha ditore reported on Friday.

The daily reported that the minister is a powerful political figure who manages a very important department in Taci's government. He is suspected of illegally earning dozens of millions of euros, and the file with data regarding the case was delivered to both Taci and EULEX.

EULEX Mission's spokesperson Karin Limdal did not deny that there is an investigation, but she added that EULEX does not comment on such matters. As you know, EULEX cannot give any information on a person who is under investigation, regardless of the fact whether he or she is a suspect or a witness, Limdal said.