Budimir Charged with Abuse of Office and Bribery

The Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo has filed an indictment against the President of the Federation of BiH, Živko Budimir, for abuse of official position and authority and receiving bribes, writes the news agency Patria.

The indictment against Budimir also charges his advisor Petar Barišić, as well as Saud Kulosman, Hidajet Halilović, Armin Kulovac, and Željko Asić. All of them were under investigation opened by the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, and Budimir and the other five were arrested in 2013, after which he spent almost a month in custody.

The state prosecutor's office subsequently handed over the investigation to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo. Budimir and the others are accused of assisting individuals sentenced to prison by securing reduced sentences or pardons for them in exchange for financial compensation, based on the authority held by the President of the Federation of BiH.