CUSTODY AND PROHIBITING MEASURES PROPOSED AGAINST EIGHT SUSPECTS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY IN THE ACTION WITH THE ‘SAILOR’ CODE NAME

Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has put forward a Motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina proposing custody against five suspects and prohibiting measures against three persons, for whom there is a grounded suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of Organized Crime, as referred to in Article 250, in conjunction with the criminal offence of Tax Evasion or Fraud, as referred to in Article 210, the criminal offense of Abuse of Office or Official Authority, as referred to in Article 220 and the criminal offense of Illegal Interceding, as referred to in Article 219 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  

Prosecutor of the Special Department for Organized Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge of this case has put forward a Motion for Ordering Custody in the duration of one month (30 days) against the following suspects:

1.    Miloš Milutinović (1979), who has his residence registered in Belgrade and Banjaluka and is a citizen of the Republic of Serbia,

2.    Željko Đekić, (1967) from Banjaluka, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

3.    Ivan Petonjić (1959) from Jajce, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia,

4.    Miroslav Leko (1957) from Mostar, a fugitive, and

5.    Tomislav Leko (1984) from Mostar, a fugitive.

The suspected persons have been deprived of liberty by authorized police officers as part of the joint action with the code name of ‘SAILOR’. They are subject to an investigation of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and are suspected of participating, as members of an organized criminal group, in the actions of illegal interceding and evading the payment of VAT obligations by presenting false documentation, as well as using their office to misuse the documentation pertaining to the assessment of damages created as a result of floods.

Having questioned all the suspects, the Prosecutor in charge of the case has put forward a Motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina for imposing the measure of custody against Miroslav Leko and Tomislav Leko. Custody has been proposed against them for legal grounds stipulated in Article 132, paragraph 1, item a) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina; at the same time, the Prosecutor proposed that the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina issue an Arrest Warrant because the aforementioned persons are on the run. 

Custody has been proposed against the suspects Miloš Milutinović and Ivan Petonjić for legal grounds stipulated in Article 132, paragraph 1, items a) and b) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as against Željko Đekić, for legal grounds stipulated in Article 132, paragraph 1, item b) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Among other reasons, the measure of custody has been proposed against these suspects due to the risk of flight and the risk that these accused, if at large, might destroy or conceal evidence or clues important for the criminal proceedings, or influence witnesses or accessories, all in an attempt to hinder and obstruct the conduct of the criminal proceedings against them.

In regard to the following suspects:

1. Dragan Talić (1969) from Banjaluka, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
2. Domagoj Marić (1967) from Mostar, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia, and
3. Brankica Martić (1965), from Banja Luka, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

the Prosecutor in charge of this case has proposed imposition of prohibiting measures as referred to in Article 126, paragraph 1, item d) of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, the prohibiting measure of weekly reporting to the relevant police station has been proposed. 

The Motion for Ordering Custody and Imposing Prohibiting Measures has been submitted to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereas the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina will resume its investigation in this case.