How Sarajlić devised the operation to elect the head of the SDA Sarajevo Canton

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Municipal Court in Sarajevo confirmed the indictment of the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office against Asim Sarajlić, Sabahudin Delalić, and Muhamed Šehović for the criminal offense of giving a gift and other forms of benefit. The indictment states how the criminal offense was committed, i.e., how lobbying was done to vote for Fikret Prevljak instead of Semir Efendić for the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton.

"In the period from February 20, 2020, to February 25, 2020, in Sarajevo, knowing that internal party elections of the Party of Democratic Action of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton were scheduled for February 26, 2020, at which the proposed candidates were SDA party members Semir Efendić and Fikret Prevljak, and whose names are listed in the Decision of the Executive Board of the SDA Sarajevo Canton from February 7, 2020, made by Asim Sarajlić, who also gave the Consent from February 11, 2020, confirming that the proposed candidates meet all the criteria for candidacy, in order to secure the number of votes required for the election of Fikret Prevljak for the position of president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton, a position which, according to Article 100 of the Statute of the Party of Democratic Action from September 14, 2019, implies that the President of the SDA Canton is responsible for representing and advocating for the Cantonal Organization of the SDA, initiating the resolution of political and other issues of importance for the SDA in the area where the SDA Canton operates, as well as coordinating the work of all SDA bodies in that area and ensuring the implementation of their decisions, conclusions, and other acts, they used their social and influential position, which they held based on their positions within the mentioned party, namely Asim Sarajlić as a member of the Presidency - Vice-President of the Party to which position he was appointed by the Decision of the SDA Election Commission from September 14, 2019, and by the Decision from January 24, 2020, assigned in that capacity for the area of rights and status of the veteran population, preservation of the achievements of the defense war, and president of the Cadre Commission of this party based on the Decision of the SDA Presidency from November 8, 2019, Sabahudin Delalić as a member of the Executive Board of the Municipal Organization of SDA Novi Grad Sarajevo, by which, after a prior agreement, they contacted SDA member Muhamed Šehović, former technical secretary of the Party of Democratic Action, in order to arrange a meeting through him with his friend V.T., an SDA member and also the president of the Local Board Alipašino polje C-1 of the Municipal Organization Novi Grad Sarajevo SDA based on the Decision of the Election Commission of the Municipal Organization SDA Novi Grad Sarajevo from December 9, 2019, in which capacity he was nominated by the local board and subsequently elected at the assembly of the municipal organization Novi Grad as a delegate to the election assembly of the SDA Sarajevo Canton scheduled for February 26, 2020, at which the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton was to be elected, which was confirmed by the list of members of the Assembly of the SDA Sarajevo Canton signed by the President of the Election Commission of the SDA Municipal Board R.D., thereby acquiring the status of a responsible person within the meaning of Article 2, paragraph 6 of the Criminal Code of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which capacity as an elected delegate, V.T., within the meaning of Article 93, point d) of the Statute of the Party of Democratic Action from September 14, 2019, as a member of the SDA Canton Assembly, had the right and duty to participate in the election of the SDA Canton president within the procedure prescribed by the provisions of Article 99, paragraph 1 of the SDA Statute and Article 10.6 of the Rules of the Election Procedure in the Party of Democratic Action from October 31, 2019, which stipulate that at the first constitutive session of the SDA Canton Assembly, the president of the SDA Canton is elected by secret ballot among multiple candidates, while Article 1.4 of the Rules of the Election Procedure in the Party of Democratic Action from October 31, 2019, stipulates that elections for all party bodies and officials are conducted by secret ballot among multiple candidates, whereas Article 6.9 of the aforementioned Rules stipulates that the election committee is obliged to ensure that voting is done personally and secretly, and Article 6.14 of the Rules of the Election Procedure stipulates that the voter votes alone in a special space where secrecy of voting is ensured, so being aware that V.T., as an elected delegate, had the right and duty to participate in the secret ballot for the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton, and being aware that in the upcoming vote, according to Article 5.3 of the Rules of the Election Procedure, as a delegate, he could only vote for one of the proposed candidates, they arranged a meeting which took place on February 25, 2020, in the Hrasno settlement area, to which location V.T. was driven by Muhamed Šehović, asking him to enter a parked Audi vehicle, in which Sabahudin Delalić and Asim Sarajlić were located," the indictment states.

It is further specified that Sarajlić and Delalić, in a conversation with V.T., promised that by using their influential social position based on the positions they hold within the Party of Democratic Action, and especially Asim Sarajlić as the president of the party's Cadre Commission, they would ensure the employment of V.T.'s wife in one of the institutions where SDA party cadres held leading positions, mentioning at the time individuals nicknamed "Cvrle" (Senad Hasanspahić) and "Glumac" (Emir Hadžihafizbegović), and that they "arranged" in the same way for Abdulah Skaka to be elected mayor of Sarajevo, asking V.T. to use his prescribed duty and right of secret ballot for one of the proposed candidates in the upcoming internal party elections for the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton, in which he would participate as an elected delegate, by voting for candidate Fikret Prevljak, which is what they wanted.

When asked by Muhamed Šehović if it was necessary to photograph the ballot, Asim Sarajlić and Sabahudin Delalić replied that they would send a photographed ballot via the Viber application to V.T.'s mobile phone, on which Semir Efendić's name was already circled, which, according to their instructions, V.T. was supposed to show to his work and party colleague Semir Efendić if he asked him who he voted for in the internal party elections, after which Muhamed Šehović, driving V.T. back to his home in his vehicle from the mentioned location, convinced him during the drive that "everything is three hundred million percent done," stating that there was no reason to worry, because Asim Sarajlić is the president of the Cadre Commission for the entire BiH and one of the party's leaders, after which the elections for the president of the SDA Sarajevo Canton were held on February 26, 2020, at which V.T. participated as a delegate, with Asim Sarajlić presiding over that assembly according to the Extract from the Minutes from February 26, 2020, and at which election assembly candidate Fikret Prevljak received the most votes.

We remind you that the nominations for ministers Hasanspahić and Hadžihafizbegović were withdrawn after the audio recording was released, at the request of Aljoša Čampara, who did not want to vote for the new KS Government. Hajrudin Grabovica (veteran affairs) and Kenan Alikadić (culture and sports) were appointed instead.

The prosecuting prosecutor proposed the hearing of three witnesses, three experts, and the presentation of more than 70 material evidence for the main trial.

After the recording was released, Sarajlić resigned from all party positions, but is still considered one of the closest associates of SDA president Bakir Izetbegović. Asim Sarajlić's name was also mentioned in the "Respirators" affair when Fikret Hodžić sent an SMS to Prime Minister Fadil Novalić with the following content: "Selam, Mr. Novalić. Fikret Hodžić here. Asim told me to contact you regarding the respirators, so when you have a minute.".