Legal status of Hotel Walter unresolved: Federal USKOK to start work in December, FBiH Government seeks new premises

(Patria) - Special departments of the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Supreme Court of the FBiH (so-called Federal USKOK) will not be housed in the premises of Hotel Walter (Emiran), which was permanently confiscated from Emir Šarić and is managed by the Federal Agency for Management of Confiscated Property.

According to information that the FBiH Government will consider at today's session, a conclusion will be adopted for the Service for Joint Affairs of the FBiH Bodies and Institutions to examine the market and report to the Government on possible alternative locations for housing the Special Department of the Prosecutor's Office and the Supreme Court of the FBiH. It is proposed to rent or purchase premises with a total area of 1,200 square meters for the accommodation of the special departments.

Incidentally, the HJPC informed the FBiH Government that at its session on September 4 and 5, it will appoint candidates for positions in the special departments of the Federal Prosecutor's Office and the Supreme Court of the FBiH. The HJPC sent a letter on July 25 to the federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić and the Federal Ministry of Justice, and the issue of accommodation has not yet been resolved.

“Urgent steps are requested to ensure adequate space for the accommodation of the special departments, as well as other technical, personnel, and financial prerequisites for the implementation of the Law on Combating Corruption and Organized Crime in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” stated the HJPC.

The same information that the Government will consider states that resolving the legal status of Hotel Walter would take some time, and considering the necessary adaptation of the premises for the needs of the new departments, the Working Group has agreed to find alternative accommodation so that the departments can start working in December 2024.

Incidentally, in addition to representatives of federal institutions and the judiciary, the Working Group includes experts from the US Embassy, Croatia, as well as several international organizations operating in BiH (OHR, USAID, EU Delegation, OSCE).