Indictment against Minister Selmo Cikotić confirmed

(Patria) - The State Court has confirmed the indictment against Selmo Cikotić, the current Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which charges him with abuse of office and according to which, in the period from 2009 to 2011, while holding the position of State Minister of Defense, he damaged the BiH budget by approximately 9.7 million KM, it was confirmed by the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As previously announced by the BiH Prosecutor's Office, Cikotić is charged with abusing his official position as State Minister of Defense between 2009 and 2011 by illegally favoring a buyer, to the detriment of the Ministry he led, during the plan for the export and sale of surplus obsolete weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.

"The indictment states that the accused, completely illegally and bypassing the prescribed legal procedures, without informing his deputies, as well as the Presidency of BiH, made changes to the contract, after which the company 'Scout' d.o.o. Zagreb, instead of obsolete weapons and ammunition, which were intended for write-off and sale to reduce storage and maintenance costs, exported higher quality weapons and ammunition in demand on the market through contract amendments, thus damaging the BiH budget by approximately 9.7 million KM, and also acquiring property benefits for others in a multi-million amount," the earlier statement from the BiH Prosecutor's Office stated.

According to the indictment, Cikotić, as an official in the executive authorities in BiH, caused damage to the BiH budget and acquired property benefits for others in a large amount through his actions, thereby committing the prolonged criminal offense of abuse of office or authority, writes Detektor.