Mektić on Indictment: BiH Prosecutor's Office Protecting Its Embarrassment, Trying to Exclude the Public

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Dragan Mektić, a delegate in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly and former Minister of Security, commented today on the decision of the BiH Prosecutor's Office not to submit the indictment to Transparency International BiH, which was filed against Mektić and three other individuals. The trial begins on Thursday at the Court of BiH. 

„This is a politically motivated and fabricated indictment. It is a confusing indictment that even the Prosecutor's Office itself does not understand. The problem is that others have realized this as well, some non-governmental organizations that monitor the rule of law, and in full accordance with the Law on Free Access to Information, TI BiH requested that this indictment be provided to them. However, the Prosecutor's Office, in order to protect its embarrassment, its shame, and to prevent it from being seen that this is truly a fabricated matter, declared the indictment secret. An indictment for which the trial is public, the public has not been excluded. Any ordinary citizen and non-governmental organizations can attend that trial. Which other indictment has been secret? None,“ said Mektić. 

When asked by a Patria journalist whether he expects the Court of BiH to decide to exclude the public, Mektić said he does not expect that. 

„There is no reason for it. There are specifically prescribed cases for excluding the public, such as disclosing state secrets or cases involving minors. You cannot arbitrarily decide that we will protect this from the public. There are exhaustively listed situations when the public is excluded,“ said Mektić. 

The Prosecutor's Office has submitted a proposal to the Court of BiH for the imposition of prohibition measures.

„These are measures prohibiting meetings with witnesses and approaching them within 100 meters. Another prohibition is that I cannot make public statements regarding this case. What is controversial about discussing it? As far as I am concerned, let anyone who has an interest talk about it. We will not conduct secret trials here. Regarding access to witnesses, 31 witnesses are listed. Of those 31, 28 are completely unknown to me; I don't know if I could meet them within 100 meters somewhere. This is a fabricated situation, but in order to prevent the public from learning about all the confusion and stupidity of this indictment, they are trying to exclude the public from this proceeding,“ concluded Mektić.