Damage to the BiH MoD's Image: Pendeš Still Has Access to Classified Data Despite Investigations

The BiH Prosecutor's Office has opened several investigations against the Minister of Defense of BiH, Marina Pendeš, due to irregularities in public procurement. She is suspected of abuse of office and authority, as well as negligent performance of duty, reports the Patria News Agency.

While serving as Deputy Minister, Pendeš mediated and assisted certain companies in public procurement for the Ministry of Defense of BiH. Through these actions, Pendeš caused damage to the BiH Ministry amounting to several hundred thousand convertible marks.

Denis Hadžović, Secretary General of the Center for Security Studies, commented on this case for Patria, addressing whether the investigation against Pendeš, given her access to classified data, could affect the fulfillment of our country's conditions on the path to NATO.

- For several years, the BiH Audit Office has consistently pointed out shortcomings and possible abuses in the public procurement process within the Ministry of Defense of BiH in its reports. Therefore, I believe that the entire public supports the final reaction from the BiH Prosecutor's Office regarding the initiation of investigations against responsible persons, for whom there is a founded suspicion of abuse of office and misuse of taxpayer funds.

The mere initiation of two investigations against Minister Pendeš, who held the position of Deputy Minister during the period these cases relate to, will not have a significant impact on BiH's path to NATO, but it certainly undermines the image of this important institution to some extent, which is one of the few bright examples that BiH can boast of in the sphere of foreign policy and international relations, says Hadžović.

- Considering past experiences with the prosecution of high-ranking officials in BiH, and certainly respecting the presumption of innocence as the fundamental postulate of the rule of law, I believe that one should refrain from assessing the outcome of these investigative actions directed at Ms. Pendeš, and it is best at this moment to allow the judicial institutions to carry out their work unhindered.

In any case, we hope that these and similar investigations will result in concrete and objective verdicts against the responsible persons, as it is undeniable that abuses in public procurement within the Ministry of Defense of BiH were a common practice - concludes Hadžović.

NATO Headquarters Spokesperson in BiH, Ines Kuburović, also commented on the investigation against Minister Pendeš for Patria.

- The issue of the investigations you mentioned falls entirely within the jurisdiction of local judicial institutions, so NATO Headquarters has no other stance on this matter.

The fact that the Minister of Defense has access to classified data is a matter for the security agencies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which cannot affect the fulfillment of the conditions for the activation of the MAP in any way.

The condition for the activation of the MAP is clear, and that is the registration of 63 locations of prospective immovable military property as state property with the right of use by the Ministry of Defense - states Kuburović.