SIPA Director Found Guilty: Goran Zubac Sentenced to One Year in Prison!

Goran Zubac, director of SIPA, is guilty of negligent work in service because on February 7, 2014, he refused to provide assistance to the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, when the buildings of the government and the Presidency of BiH were burning in Sarajevo, reports a reporter from the Patria news agency.  

Judge Mirsad Strika sentenced Zubac to a suspended prison sentence of one year, and if he does not commit a new criminal offense in the next two years, he will not serve the prison sentence.  

The Court of BiH, in this first-instance verdict, established based on the factual situation and evidence that Goran Zubac acted negligently, knowingly violating the laws of BiH when he refused to provide assistance to the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies (DKPT). Explaining the verdict, Judge Mirsad Strika said that the defense's claims that there was no agreement on mutual assistance between police bodies were insufficient because at the moment when the buildings of the Presidency of BiH, the Archives of BiH, and the Constitutional Court of BiH were burning, it was more important for the Special Unit led by Zubac to help the Directorate, as this is also established by law.

Also, the defense claimed that the SIPA Special Unit is not trained for maintaining public order and peace. However, the Court of BiH also rejected these defense claims, stating that it was proven during the main trial that part of the unit was ready, upon Zubac's order, to act if the unrest spread to the area around the American Embassy building.

Goran Zubac did not want to comment on this verdict upon leaving the courtroom, while his lawyer Dragiša Jokić said he was surprised and would appeal this verdict.

- Yes, I am surprised, because I did not expect this verdict, but when I receive the written copy, I will be able to say more about it. We will certainly file an appeal, so we will see what happens in the second-instance proceedings - said Jokić.

Also, the Court of BiH established that providing assistance from the Special Unit to the DKPT would have prevented the damage that ultimately amounted to 339,522 KM.  Incidentally, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH charged Zubac with negligent work in service because, as the person authorized for the lawful operation of SIPA, he obviously acted negligently.