PRISTINA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The European Union&${esc.hash}39;s justice mission in Kosovo said on Friday it had begun a preliminary investigation into allegations of crimes by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci.
A report by Dick Marty, rapporteur of the Council of Europe human rights watchdog, accused members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army loyal to Thaci of abductions in Kosovo, gun- and drug-running and trafficking in organs from ethnic Serbs in 1999-2000.
The report was adopted by the Council&${esc.hash}39;s parliamentary assembly earlier this week.
Thaci, who won most of the votes in December in the first elections since the former Serb province declared independence in 2008, has rejected the report and threatened a lawsuit.
Kosovo remains an international protectorate and home to around 2,000 police, judiciary and customs officials from the European Union police and justice mission, which took over from a U.N. administration set up after a NATO bombing campaign drove Serb forces from Kosovo in 1999 to end attacks on civilians.
The EU mission, EULEX, said it had the capacity and the expertise to handle the case.
"As an initial technical step, EULEX prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation," an EULEX statement said.
After denials from Thaci and Kosovo&${esc.hash}39;s neighbour and ethnic brother Albania accusing Marty of racism and bias, both Kosovo and Albania have welcomed inquiries as the only way to restore international credibility.
The mission has asked individuals, organisations and Marty to present all the evidence "they have in regard to these serious accusations".
"As a rule of law mission, we work on the basis of fact and evidence. Without evidence, prosecutions cannot take place. If we receive this information, our prosecutors are ready to follow up immediately," the statement added. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; editing by Adam Tanner and Philippa Fletcher)
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