Karić: I gave Čaušević 1,000 marks per truck with textiles

State Prosecution witness Sedinet Karić stated at the trial of former Director of the Indirect Taxation Authority (UIO) Kemal Čaušević that he gave the accused 1,000 convertible marks per truck that imported textile goods into Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes BIRN, Patria agency reports.

Sedinet Karić, who was previously accused in the same case as Čaušević and sentenced to one year in prison for bribery, recounted that he had been importing goods from Hungary and Turkey for several years, and that his company acted as an intermediary for imports between sellers and buyers, meaning the goods were imported for others who then sold them.

He also described how he knows Anes Sadiković, who is on trial in the same case, whom he said he saw at borders and in cities, after which they started socializing and working together because the accused was also involved in textiles.

- Sadiković and I handled about 70 to 80 percent of the imports. He had five or six trucks then, and I had two or three, sometimes one. If the goods couldn't fit on his truck, they would go on mine, and vice versa. We worked on a percentage basis - stated the witness, explaining that Turkish goods were more expensive than Hungarian goods and were paid for by cubic meter.

He also pointed out that goods were bought in Hungary at a market in Budapest and that Hata Bešlagić handled the paperwork and invoices.

According to him, he met Čaušević in 2007. Almir Kadić was the intermediary, but he couldn't recall if Kadić had introduced him to Čaušević for their first meeting at a facility in Šeher near Banja Luka.

- Čaušević knew that I was importing goods, where they were being cleared, he had good information. We started to negotiate. He asked me to give him 1,000 marks per truck, and that was it - said Karić.

The witness also said that he automatically had the assurance that the goods would not be held up, that they would move faster so that the end customers wouldn't have to wait, and that there would be no problems with the invoices.

According to him, the second or third time he went to Banja Luka, Sadiković was with him, and Sadiković asked Čaušević to protect them from others and to have privileges.

Karić said that Sadiković reached the same agreement with Čaušević.

The witness also recalled meeting Ahmet Šerifović in Kladanj, who was the head of customs in Bijeljina, where he started importing because the Arizona market was closer to him. That meeting was organized by Čaušević, who also attended.

- I agreed to give Šerifović 300 marks per truck, although I was giving him 500 marks. Čaušević said that 300 marks was enough for him, but Šerifović said that more was needed because there were other customs officers and they needed something too - said the witness, explaining that he sent 100 marks per driver to other customs officers who happened to be there.

- The total cost per truck ranged from 1,500 to 2,000 marks. One thousand went to Čaušević, 500 marks to the branch manager, and the rest to other customs officers, depending on how many were present - Karić explained.

The essence of giving money, as he explained, was to prevent anyone from raising prices and to avoid delays in goods delivery during the month.

- I handed over the money every month, month and a half, depending on the season, when 20-30 trucks were processed. The money was given at the UIO BiH, in Čaušević's apartment near the Sarajevo Cathedral, and at the motel in Šeher near Banja Luka where the accused slept, mostly there, between 15,000 and 30,000 marks - said the witness.

He also recounted a situation when he was in Istanbul with the accused to resolve an issue with the documents accompanying the import of goods from Turkey.

- Upon our return, Čaušević called me and said that he had received information from some authorities that we had been seen together in Turkey. He told me to write that we met there by chance, which I did, and I think Sadiković did the same - said the witness.

He further stated that in 2010 he went to serve a five-year sentence for tax evasion, and partly because of that, he made a plea deal in this case because he had been offered a plea deal in a previous proceeding that stipulated a suspended sentence, but it ended up being a prison sentence.

Čaušević is accused of abuse of office, money laundering, and accepting bribes and other benefits, while Sadiković is accused of giving bribes and other benefits.

Before Karić's testimony, presiding judge Biljana Ćuković stated that the Court had received three submissions from Čaušević in which he claims that this witness's testimony is "a product of force and coercion, illegal and false," and proposed that other evidence be examined first.

- The request is premature and prejudges the outcome - said Ćuković, and warned the accused not to communicate with the Court in such a manner.

The trial is scheduled to continue on September 14, when the Defense will cross-examine the witness.