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Court expels Kosovan politician

A Swiss court has issued an expulsion order against a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who it said should never have received a residency permit.

Azem Syla, a Kosovan parliamentarian and former defence minister, was granted asylum in Switzerland in 1994 and received a C permit in 1999.

But the Administrative Court of Solothurn ruled that as defence minister Syla should never have left his country during a time of war. It ordered he leave Switzerland by May 15.

The court said Syla had violated a series of laws in Switzerland, including serious abuse of the social security system, according to the written judgment obtained by the Swiss News Agency.  

Unable to work because of a physical condition, Syla received some SFr425,000 ($469,000) in social security payments between 2002 and 2011. The payments were stopped last year when authorities became aware of his position as a Kosovan parliamentarian.

Syla has also been accused of trafficking in human organs and murder during his time with the KLA. He is additionally accused of having ordered the execution of his rivals at the end of the war in 1999.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR