PRESS RELEASE

On 8 July 2024, by order of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, the assistant commander of the Trebinje Border Police Unit, Blagoje Milović, and the citizen of BiH and Croatia, Ivica Bago, were deprived of their liberty for the criminal offences of organised crime, illicit trafficking in excise goods, abuse of office or authority, and other criminal offences.

The aforementioned investigation is being conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the State Investigation and Protection Agency - SIPA is involved in the implementation of deprivation of liberty activities.

In addition to other persons, SIPA’s deputy director, Zoran Galić, is also under investigation because of the suspicion that during the period when he was the director of the BiH Border Police, he committed the criminal offences of receiving gifts and other forms of benefits and abuse of office or authority.

In addition, there are grounds for suspicion that an unknown person from the above-mentioned institutions involved in the investigation provided the suspect Zoran Galić with information about the investigation and the planned measures and actions against him, thereby committing the criminal offence of breaching the confidentiality of the proceedings and, therefore, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina will, together with domestic institutions and international partners, conduct an investigation in order to identify and prosecute the said person in accordance with the law.

After receiving information on 8 July 2024, suspect Galić illegally crossed the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the afternoon hours and fled to the Republic of Croatia, where he is now.

The investigation into this case of high-level corruption is continuing and is being conducted with the direct support of EUROPOL.

Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Milanko Kajganić