Group of citizens files criminal complaint after article on tram brake servicing

(Patria) - The Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor's Office has received a criminal complaint filed by a group of citizens against unknown officials and responsible persons in the Ministry of Transport of Sarajevo Canton, the Cantonal Public Utility Company (KJKP) GRAS, and other individuals for several criminal offenses.

The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that they received the complaint via e-mail and that its allegations will be subject to verification.

"At the same time, this judicial institution is analyzing media reports, specifically from Detektor, and the allegations in your article in order to determine further actions," the Prosecutor's Office stated.

The complaint also states suspicion of a possible cause-and-effect relationship between the technical condition of the braking system and the accident on February 12, 2026, when one person was killed and several were injured during the derailment of tram number 516.

Detektor reported that the Sarajevo public company whose tram killed one and injured four other people did not require any prior experience or expertise from companies in the valid tender for the servicing of magnetic brakes on the type of tram involved in the accident. The owner of the company that won the tender stated that he has no experience with these brakes and that he has not returned any serviced brakes to GRAS in the eight months of the contract. GRAS did not respond to Detektor's inquiry about when they last serviced the brakes on tram 516.

The group stated that, according to media information, the tender documentation allegedly did not specify criteria for the technical and professional capacity of bidders, nor were proofs of prior experience in servicing safety-critical systems requested.

It was requested that the Prosecutor's Office determine whether a technical acceptance and functional testing of the braking system was carried out before the vehicle was returned to traffic.

The complainants propose that the following be investigated: who prepared and approved the tender documentation, whether qualification criteria were omitted and by whose decision, whether there was communication between the company's management and the competent ministry regarding the content of the tender, and whether supervision over the contract implementation and technical control was carried out before the vehicle was released into traffic.

The complaint explains that the Ministry of Transport of Sarajevo Canton (KS), in accordance with the Law on Public Passenger Transport in KS, has supervisory authority over the functioning of public transport, and it is proposed to determine whether it exercised control over the legality and safety aspects of the operator's work.

The complaint was filed due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that criminal offenses have been committed, namely: dereliction of duty, endangering public transport, and a serious criminal offense against public transport safety.

The complaint was filed against unknown officials in the Ministry of Transport of KS, including management and persons responsible for supervising public transport and the work of the public company, as well as against unknown responsible persons in KJKP GRAS, which manages public transport in KS, relating to management, persons responsible for public procurement, maintenance and technical readiness, as well as members of commissions, and other unknown persons who will be identified during the investigation.