CHIEF PROSECUTOR RESPONDS TO THE FALSE STATEMENTS PUBLISHED IN THE MAGAZINE SLOBODNA BOSNA

Namely, the article contains an absolutely incorrect statement that the Chief Prosecutor has received a rating of 4 in the public vacancy announcement published by the HJPC for the position of the Chief Prosecutor.

The Chief Prosecutor was granted a rating of 2, which can almost be considered as the highest rate for a candidate. This information could have easily been verified with the HJPC prior to publishing inaccurate information.

Please note that the Chief Prosecutor Salihović was appointed Chief Prosecutor by a majority vote (8: 5).

The Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has absolutely no impact on the vacancy announcement that has been published by HJPC for the appointment of new prosecutors in the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, and he sincerely hopes that the HJPC shall select the best candidates to be appointed as new Prosecutors of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to accelerate the pace of work on war crimes cases.

The Chief Prosecutor has every confidence that young, professional and hardworking people, eager to work and prove themselves in their profession and work can lead the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards European integration, but he has no impact on anyone’s choice in the appointment process conducted by the HJPC.

We would also like to add that the Chief Prosecutor is not at all acquainted with the son of Mr. Miodrag Simović, whom you mention in the text, and that it has certainly been several months since he has had no contact/with Mr. Simović or since he has spoken with him about anything..

This is not the first time that the magazine Slobodna Bosna, for reasons unknown to us, published false information regarding the Chief Prosecutor therefore we request that, in accordance with the guidelines and regulations of the Press Council in BiH, this denial be published in its entirety in the very next issue of the magazine and on the same page as that of the article in question.

Regardless of the media attacks on the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and the disclosure of false information, the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH continues firmly with activities in the fight against organized crime and corruption.

At the same time, we would like to inform you that the Chief Prosecutor Goran Salihović shall seek protection through a law suit filed with the competent court due to defamation, insult and falsehood.

Sincerely,

                                                                                Boris Grubešić

                                        Head of Public Relations Department of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH