Appeal by lawyer Martinović rejected, Hadžić remains in custody

The Council of the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo rejected the appeal by lawyer Davor Martinović regarding the re-imposition of custody for his client Damir Hadžić, former mayor of Novi Grad Municipality, who was arrested in the Blok operation on November 30, 2016, it has been confirmed for Patria from the KS Prosecutor's Office.

On Friday, December 9, the Council of the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo made a decision to revoke the custody order based on the lawyer's appeal, and on Saturday, a new decision was made to impose custody on Hadžić.

Hadžić is accused of the criminal offense of abuse of position, in a way that he enabled the payment of over one million marks from the municipal budget to Esed Radeljaš, a former councilor in Novi Grad, a representative, and a minister in the BPK Government, who was arrested as part of the Blok operation on November 9 and is in custody. Radeljaš is suspected of the criminal offenses of certifying untrue content, incitement to abuse of position, giving gifts and other benefits, and money laundering. Radeljaš's custody has been extended.

Also arrested in the operation were Jasmina Horo, assistant to the former mayor of Novi Grad Municipality Damir Hadžić, Nedžad Kapetanović, former legal representative of Novi Grad Municipality, and Jusuf Čaušević, head of the Department for Property-Legal Affairs of Novi Grad Municipality.

Measures of prohibition were imposed on Horo, Kapetanović, and Čaušević, but Horo was subsequently arrested for a new criminal offense of inciting an expert witness to abuse of assessment, and she was ordered into one-month custody. Court expert Kasim Zulum, who was arrested, was released and is a witness in the proceedings.