Ombudsman Vranješ demands accountability for Nermin Nikšić's escort: They pushed my official vehicle and endangered my safety!

(Patria) - Ombudsman for Human Rights of BiH Nevenko Vranješ informed the public via social networks about an event on February 19th when he had a close and unpleasant encounter with the escort of the Federal Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić, who was in Banja Luka that day.

Vranješ stated that around 6:00 PM at the Zeleni vir location, from the direction of Banja Luka, two vehicles detached from the convoy, and in a blind curve, using strong light and sound signals at a cinematic speed, "endangered several of us participants, during which our official vehicle was pushed off the road and a tragedy was narrowly avoided."

"We determined that it was the escort of the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Nermin Nikšić. For such behavior, I will demand accountability from the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs and inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republika Srpska and the public about it. Such arrogant behavior must not happen again," Vranješ stated.

In addition to Nikšić, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH Elmedin Konaković was also in Banja Luka that day. Although it was about signing a party agreement, given that they have the right to an escort, these officials are clearly using that right to arrive at a certain destination with their escort's reckless driving.

This is not the first time that criticism has been raised about the arrogant driving of vehicles from the escort of BiH officials. Social networks are full of videos and unpleasant situations that citizens have been put in because they are stopped by escorts, pushed off the road, and often contact with vehicles occurs. Recently, a vehicle from the escort of the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees Sevlid Hurtić was involved in a traffic accident.

It should not be forgotten that Nermin Nikšić himself is a fan of fast driving, so a few days before being appointed Prime Minister of FBiH (April 19, 2023), he drove at a speed of 162 km/h on the Sarajevo-Tarčin highway where the limit is 100 km/h.

When this fine arrived in March 2024, Nikšić's chief of staff Arijana Huseinović Ajanović, who is under restraining orders due to suspicion of corrupt criminal offenses, sent a photo of the fine to Vahidin Munjić, then acting director of the Federal Police Administration, with the question of how "this can be resolved".

Nikšić, explaining this situation, said that he paid the fine, but it remained unclear whether he also surrendered his driver's license for two months.