Indictment confirmed against former Minister of Human Rights and Refugees Miloš Lučić

(Patria) - The Court of BiH confirmed the indictment against the former Minister of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH Miloš Lučić, as well as Siniša Papaz, Dalibor Šehovac, and Mirko Ristović for abuse of position or authority. Lučić is also accused of embezzlement in office.

The indictment states that Lučić, from May 2020 to December 2022, made decisions – aware that they contained untrue information – by which he approved the use of representation funds for himself in order to gain financial benefit, writes Detektor.ba.

According to the indictment, Lučić acted contrary to the provisions that define and regulate the spending and use of financial and material resources of the Ministry, by falsely representing expenses for representation, consumption of food and drinks at the expense of the Ministry.

He procured a larger quantity of various fiscal receipts from Papaz, which had already been paid at catering establishments, and then took them over and falsely presented them as representation expenses of the Ministry or receipts for consumption of food and drinks at various establishments.

Lučić is also accused of misusing the official payment bank card of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees for refueling various vehicles that were not owned by the Ministry.

According to a previous statement from the Prosecutor's Office, Lučić – using an official Audi A6 – allegedly carried out vehicle maintenance outside of selected and authorized services, with the assistance of Šehovac and Ristović, thereby presenting expenses that did not occur and obtaining illegal financial benefits.

The former minister is also charged with appropriating Ministry funds in the form of electronic equipment, which he falsely reported as stolen upon relinquishing his position, and the items were found during a search of his family home.

Lučić is charged with causing damage to the state budget in the amount of 69,777 KM by exploiting his official authority, it was previously stated by the Prosecutor's Office.

Lučić was arrested in December 2022 in an operation by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), codenamed "Dijamant 2", and resigned from his position as minister a few days later.