Lagumdžija's friend resigns: Will Užičanin be held accountable for the robbery of 50,000 KM?

Selma Užičanin, head of the General Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to unconfirmed information, has resigned from that position under pressure from her nominal boss and mentor Zlatko Lagumdžija, reports the Patria news agency.

According to unofficial information, the ongoing investigation led by the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office has shown that Užičanin is the most responsible in the chain for the robbery of 50,000 KM that occurred at the end of February this year, and as a result, she could face, in addition to disciplinary action within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, possibly criminal charges at the Sarajevo Canton Court.

It was precisely this potential criminal liability that decided Lagumdžija to “advise” his former advisor and close family friend to resign while he is still the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An unknown person on February 25 at around 12:10 PM in Marshal Tito Street in a small park, threatening with a pistol, robbed Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee Ivica Merlo of 50,000 KM.

Merlo was sent to get the money by Užičanin herself, but to this day the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not officially commented nor explained why the money was withdrawn in that manner (without escort, prior notice, protection) and for what purposes it was intended to be used.

The only statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately after the robbery was terse and said almost nothing:

- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina immediately informed the competent investigative authorities about this robbery, with whom we are cooperating in conducting investigative actions. For the purpose of conducting an adequate investigation, the competent investigative authorities are the ones who can inform the public of what they deem necessary during these actions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' note states.

Much about this robbery is illogical, from the fact that an employee goes for such a large sum of money without an escort, to how the robber could have known that Merlo would be moving exactly then and along that route on his way back from the bank, and at a location where there are numerous police booths with video surveillance.

Career rise

Selma Užičanin arrived at the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs as an advisor to Zlatko Lagumdžija, and within just three months she was hired as a permanent employee as a minister-counselor.

She did not stop at that position on her path of career advancement, but was promoted almost overnight to assistant minister - Head of the General Affairs Sector.