The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and HerzegovinaNews
UPON THE ORDER OF THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE OF BIH AND AS PART OF THE LARGEST CASE PERTAINING TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND FINANCIAL CRIME, 54 SUSPECTS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY SO FAR. AROUND 30 OFFICIALS OF CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES AND BIH INDIRECT TAXATION A
18.06.2014. 10:48
In all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in its both entities and in the territory of the Brčko District, at several dozen locations in the areas of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka, Prijedor, Prnjavor, Gradačac, Srebrenik, Bijeljina, Zvornik, Tešanj, Čelić, Doboj, Čelinac, Brod, Gradiška, Kozarska Dubica, Derventa, Bihać, Kotor Varoš, Kiseljak and Ilijaš, fifty-four (54) persons have been deprived of liberty or put under supervision so far, and searches of a large number of facilities have been conducted.
The Prosecution Team consisted of two Prosecutors and their Investigators and Associates have been conducting a detailed and thorough investigation in this case for more than eight (8) months.
Pursuant to the Orders issued by the Prosecutors from the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption in charge of the respective case, more than three hundred (300) police officers are operating in the field.
Among the persons deprived of liberty, there are around thirty (30) officials of customs authorities and the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the former Director of the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The suspected persons in this case are subject to investigation for corruptive criminal offenses of organized crime, customs and tax evasion, illegal tax remission and VAT refund, money laundering and abuse of office or official authority in relation to the import of textile and other goods to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is conducting financial investigation in this case as well, with the aim of blocking and confiscating illegal material gain and property in multi-million amounts.
Once the representatives of the Prosecution team have questioned the suspects, they will decide whether to put forward a Motion to order custody or to impose prohibiting measures in accordance with the law; moreover, a proposal will be put to block and put under control the state property for which there is evidence suggesting its illegal acquisition.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina resumes its fight against organized crime and corruption, and no person will be untouchable.
This announcement does not prejudice the outcome of the criminal proceedings and does not violate the principle of the presumption of innocence. A person shall be considered innocent of a crime until guilt has been established by a final verdict (Article 3, paragraph 1 of the CPC BiH).
