Mektić: BiH cannot extradite Mamić to Croatia

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dragan Mektić told reporters in Sarajevo today that BiH cannot extradite Zdravko Mamić to Croatia.

"The BiH Constitution stipulates that BiH cannot extradite its citizen," Mektić said, reports Patria agency.

He recalled that some individuals have been convicted in BiH courts but are now in neighboring countries because they hold citizenship there.

Zdravko Mamić was preliminarily sentenced by the Osijek court to a combined prison term of 6 and a half years.

Zoran Mamić received 4 years and 11 months in prison, Milan Pernar 4 years and two months, and Damir Vrbanović three years. The convicts must also return illegally acquired property benefits.

The judge immediately ordered the seizure of Mamić's real estate.

Zdravko Mamić is also guilty of siphoning money in the case of transfer division with Luka Modrić. This concerns 80.9 million kuna, of which Dinamo paid 14 million in taxes, and the rest was paid to Modrić.

He kept 14.9 million kuna of that money for himself, and handed over the remaining 52 million to Mamić and his family members.

Brothers Mamić and Vrbanović were also found guilty of siphoning money from Dinamo in the case of transfer division with Dejan Lovren in order to secure undue property benefits for the younger Mamić amounting to 25.8 million kuna.

In a process 'worth' 128 million kuna. USKOK accused the Mamić brothers and Vrbanović of damaging Dinamo by a total of 115.8 million kuna, while the younger Mamić's and Pernar's actions damaged the state budget by 12.2 million kuna.

None of the defendants appeared at the sentencing, which began at noon. The elder Mamić addressed the Croatian public from Međugorje the day before, stating that he believed he would be acquitted, but that he would not attend the sentencing.

Pernar and the younger Mamić were acquitted on the first count of the indictment for the offense of receiving and giving bribes.