State Secretary for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic stated that the accusations charging him with involvement in the murder of ten Albanians in northern Kosovo-Metohija in 2000 are preposterous and unfounded.

Commenting on the allegations of daily Koha Ditore which reported that UNMIK files regarding the murder of ten Albanians in northern Kosovska Mitrovica in 2000 refer to Ivanovic and Dragan Delibasic as possible suspects, Ivanovic told that such charges are politically motivated.

"The charges are completely preposterous and unfounded and they always appear in the time when I express strengthened criticism of the situation in Kosovo-Metohija or when I intensify the talk about the need for clearing up crimes, as is the case now with Dick Marty's report on human organ trafficking in Kosovo," Ivanovic underlined.

He reminded that the authorities investigated the case in 2002, but the UNMIK prosecutor decided not to press charges. Ivanovic noted that he is not worried by charges coming from Pristina and added that he will continue doing his job as he knows best.

According to the Pristina daily, at the time the crime was committed, Ivanovic served as the head of the Serbian National Council in northern Kosovo, while Delibasic held the office as Head of the Serbian Interior Ministry's headquarters in the north.

Koha Ditore claims that one UNMIK police file, dubbed 'Pandora Sigma', contains reports regarding all murders and possible suspects.

The daily reported that no one has been sentenced for the murder of ten and wounding of 25 more Albanians although 11 years have passed since the crime was committed, and claims that the crime was carried out by organised Serb groups in the night between February 3 and 4, 2000.

In addition to the 10 murdered and 25 wounded persons, 93 more people were beaten up in the incident, after which 1.564 Albanian families, totalling 11.364 people, were forcibly expelled from northern Mitrovica, the Pristina daily claims.