INDICTMENT ISSUED IN CASE CODENAMED ‘VAR’ FOR CORRUPTION OFFENCES OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND ACCEPTING BRIBE, GIFTS OR OTHER FORMS OF BENEFIT IN ORDER TO FIX FOOTBALL GAMES

In the course of the proceedings, the Prosecutor’s Office will request confiscation of unlawful material gain from the accused persons, as well as prohibition from practicing their profession, or performing activities or any other duties in football and competition associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a period of five (5) years.

A Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption has issued an Indictment against the following persons:

1. Vladimir Dominković, born in 1967 in Orašje, who is accused as a responsible person in the Football Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the Referees and Refereeing Commission of the Football Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2. Ilija Živković, born in 1981 in Brčko, who is accused as a responsible person in the Football Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an A-list football referee of the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the season 2019/2020.
3. Kenan Bajraktarević, born in 1984 in Brčko, who is accused as a responsible person in the Football Association of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an A-list football referee of the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the season 2019/2020.

These accused persons are charged as follows: in the second half of 2019, the accused Dominković organized a group for organized crime, in terms of Article 1, paragraph 22 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the purpose of committing criminal offences of accepting bribe and accepting gifts or other forms of benefit, and other accused persons joined that group in order to acquire unlawful material gain.

The Indictment alleges that the accused Dominković, as an authorized person, delegated the accused Živković and Bajraktarević as referees at certain football matches of the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after which they requested and received a monetary gift from the managements and representatives of football clubs in the amount of at least 3000 BAM up to almost 7000 BAM per game, so that they would, in return, influence the outcome of the games. Afterwards, they shared the thus acquired unlawful material gain among themselves.

A detailed investigation, conducted by SIPA police officers and under the supervision of a Prosecutor from the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the collected evidence have shown at least two cases of money being taken over by the accused persons, in the area of ​​Čapljina and Doboj, for the outcomes of the matches played in Gabela and Tešanj.

The accused persons are charged with the criminal offences of Organized Crime under Article 250 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in conjunction with the criminal offence of Accepting Gifts and Other Forms of Benefits under Article 380 of the Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the criminal offence of Accepting Bribe under Article 319 of the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska.

The Prosecutor’s Office will prove the allegations in the Indictment by calling several witnesses and expert witnesses and presenting dozens of pieces of material evidence.

As part of the proceedings, the confiscation of unlawful property gain from the accused persons will be requested, as well as prohibition from practicing their profession, or performing activities or any other duties in football and competition associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a period of five (5) years.

The Indictment has been forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.