Former Minister of Interior of Tuzla Canton Sulejman Brkić sentenced to 10 months in prison

(Patria) - The Cantonal Court in Tuzla has rendered a final convicting verdict against former Minister of Interior of Tuzla Canton Sulejman Brkić, sentencing him to 10 months in prison for the criminal offense of accepting a reward or other form of benefit for influence peddling.

Brkić was sentenced to the aforementioned prison term for knowingly exploiting his official and influential position as Minister of Interior in the Ministry of Interior of Tuzla Canton, during the period from August 2019 to February 2020.

As stated by the Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton, Brkić repeatedly and unlawfully mediated and influenced the then director, and later the acting director of the Police Administration of Tuzla Canton, to perform official actions they should not have performed regarding the internal reassignment of a number of higher-ranking police officers in the Ministry of Interior of Tuzla Canton, although he knew that, in accordance with the laws on internal affairs and on police officers of Tuzla Canton, the Police Administration has operational independence and that only the director of the Police Administration decides on such matters.

Such requests were rejected by both the then director and the acting director, as they exceeded the minister's authority and were contrary to regulations on the internal reassignment of officers in the police body.

By the final verdict, Brkić was acquitted of the charge of abuse of office and authority, and the Cantonal Court in Tuzla, unlike the first-instance verdict, did not impose on the convicted person a security measure banning him from performing the duties of minister at the level of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.