THREE PERSONS ACCUSED OF ORGANIZING A GROUP OR ASSOCIATION FOR SMUGGLING OR DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS ON WHICH DUTIES WERE NOT PAID CONCLUDED PLEA AGREEMENTS

The following accused persons: Božidar Radovanović, Radivoje Bajović and Ante concluded agreements expressing guilt for the criminal offense of Organizing a Group or Association for Smuggling or Distribution of Goods on Which Duties Were Not Paid under Article 215 of the CC BiH.

The following accused persons entered into plea agreement with the Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime Economic Crime and Corruption within the Prosecutor's Office of BiH:

- Božidar Radovanović aka Gačo, born on January 7, 1974 in Bileća, where he resides, BiH citizen,

- Radivoje Bajović aka Rašo, born on April 14, 1982 in Bileća where he resides,  BiH citizen and

- Ante Jukić, born on April 2, 1990 in Posušje where he resides, BiH citizen.

By virtue of signing the agreement the accused persons fully admitted committing the criminal offense they were charged with by the indictment of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH issued on April 22, 2013.

Pursuant to the agreement the Prosecutor, the Defense Attorneys and the defendants agree that the accused be rendered a suspended one (1) year imprisonment sentence by the Court of BiH which will not be executed providing that the suspects do not commit another criminal offence within the next three (3) years.

The accused are charged with having participated,  as members of a group of people organized for smuggling or distribution of goods on which duties were not paid – cigarettes, in the transfer of cigarettes from the territory of Montenegro to BiH as well as with having distributed those cigarettes in BiH and having smuggled them further into the Republic of Croatia with the intent of acquiring unlawful benefits.

Pursuant to Articles 110 and 111 of the CC BiH, ill-gotten gain in the amount of BAM 500 shall be forfeited from the accused Božidar Radovanović and Radivoje Bajović and BAM 3000 from the accused Ante Jukić.

In accordance with the agreement the accused shall provide for the recovery of ill-gotten assets within 30 days following the rendering of a final verdict.

The proposed sentence is in line with the role of the accused persons in commission of the criminal offense listed in the indictment.

With this agreement the accused persons confirm that  they are aware of the content of the indictment of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH. They also confirm that the plea statements were given voluntarily, knowingly, with full understanding and without any coercion or persuasion.

Pursuant to this agreement the accused have waived their right to a trial as well as their right to appeal the criminal sanction that shall be rendered to them by the Court of BiH.

The agreements were submitted to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.