Some politicians from the Democratic Union of Kosovo, a minority party, insist that their coalition with the Democratic Party of Kosovo of Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi should be disbanded.
Their concerns follow revelations that Minister Limaj, who is from Thaçi's party, will face charges of money laundering, organised crime, fraud in office and soliciting bribes.
Johan van Vreeswijk, acting chief prosecutor of the European Union's rule of law mission in Kosovo (EULEX), said Limaj and the ministry's head of procurement, Nexhat Krasniqi, could face up to 55 years in jail if found guilty.
Six other government officials are also under investigation for corruption, van Vreeswijk added.
The comments follow a series of EULEX raids on the Ministry of Transport and properties connected to Limaj. The action is linked to a corruption probe related to road tenders issued between 2007 and 2009.
Prime Minister Thaçi reacted angrily to the raids and even accused International Civilian Representative Pieter Feith of interfering in the judicial system through EULEX. The speaker of the parliament, Jakup Krasniqi, also blamed EULEX for the raids, calling them a "show", and asked why EU law enforcers had not simply asked for the necessary documents.
Van Vreeswijk rejected the claims, saying that the action was proportionate to the seriousness of the crimes.
"Before allowing such a thing, such a raid, you should have a strong case. This is decided by a judge," he said, quoted by BalkanInsight.com.
Commenting on the charges against Limaj, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said that "no one is above the law". The daily Koha Ditore quotes the president as saying that law enforcement authorities should do their job, and Kosovo politicians should agree with this stance.
