Epilogue of police operation for rigged driving tests: Police officer among eight arrested

(Patria) - Eight people have been arrested in an operation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, codenamed "Target", carried out in the areas of Bosanski Novi, Bosanska Kostajnica, and Prijedor. A police officer is among those arrested.

The operation was carried out today by police officers of the Directorate for Organized and Serious Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska.

Searches at 13 locations were conducted under the supervision of the Republican Public Prosecutor's Office of Republika Srpska - Special Department for Combating Corruption, Organized and the Most Serious Forms of Economic Crime, and by order of the District Court of Banja Luka.

The "Target" operation has been ongoing for a longer period and is aimed, as stated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, at uncovering and proving abuses, malversations, and irregularities in the process of taking driving tests in the municipality of Bosanski Novi.

"The investigation has established that there are grounds for suspicion that certain driving school owners, together with certain members of the examination commission, have enabled candidates to pass driving tests illegally over a longer period, in exchange for monetary compensation.

In this way, they have committed the criminal offenses of 'Committing a criminal offense as part of a criminal association', 'Abuse of official position or authority', and 'Trading in influence'," the statement said.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska adds that, based on the evidence collected so far, there are grounds for suspicion that dozens of people have acquired the right to drive a motor vehicle in this manner.

Among them, it is added, were individuals who did not meet even the general health conditions for drivers in other municipalities and examination commissions, who did not possess the necessary knowledge of traffic regulations, and for some, there is suspicion that they are illiterate.

"The operation was carried out in cooperation with the Prijedor Police Administration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Una-Sana Canton. Upon completion of the activities, the arrested persons will be brought before the competent prosecutor with a report on the committed criminal offense," the statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska concludes.