Prolonging the agony for Malkoč and Agić families, closing arguments in Sefić case on March 13

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – At the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, in a retrial, Sanjin Sefić, who is being tried for causing a traffic accident and failing to provide assistance to girls Selma Agić and Edita Malkoč, who died after Sefić hit them with his vehicle, the evidentiary proceedings concluded today. Although closing arguments were supposed to be presented, Sanjin Sefić's lawyer, Kerim Čelik, requested a postponement to prepare his closing arguments, which will be on March 13.

Today also concluded the cross-examination of traffic expert witness Nedim Kamenjašević, whom lawyer Čelik accused of inventing the parameters used in his report. The expert denied such accusations and explained that he based his report on the parameters of mechanical expert witness Jasmin Bijedić.

Lawyer Čelik attempted to introduce evidence that expert Kamenjašević does not have the licensed software in which he worked, although Čelik did not obtain this information himself, but rather Sanjin Sefić's mother, Jasmina Sefić. The prosecutor, Jasminka Knežević, objected to the legality of the evidence, stating that Jasmina Sefić is not authorized to verify it and that the correspondence provided to her has neither a stamp nor a signature and is not legally valid. The court rejected Čelik's proposal.

On several occasions, the prosecutor requested that the Court warn Čelik about his behavior and not to insult the expert witness.

Čelik also questioned the duration of the green light for pedestrians at the crosswalk where pedestrians Agić and Malkoč were hit, claiming the light lasted three to four seconds. Expert Kamenjašević explained that the light lasts a total of eight seconds, including the signaling or flashing green light.

Čelik requested to view the video camera footage showing Sefić's passage, to which Judge Igor Todorović stated that the footage had already been shown in the first-instance proceedings.

Although prosecutor Jasminka Knežević was ready to present closing arguments, the court granted the defense's request for additional time to prepare closing arguments. The accused Sanjin Sefić also addressed the court, which lawyer Čelik attempted to prevent, but Todorović allowed him to speak.

“Everyone is in a hurry to finish this by April 15. You don't have to let me speak, but it is also in my interest that only the truth of what happened is proven,” Sefić said, to which Judge Todorović replied that the truth is in everyone's interest.

The lawyer for the Malkoč and Agić families, Adela Duraković, said after the hearing that she has a feeling her colleague Kerim Čelik was afraid his client would admit guilt.

“For three years, we have witnessed the behavior in the courtroom from both the defense and the accused. There is not a shred of conscience, not a shred of empathy, nothing. Last time, Čelik himself said he would be ready for closing arguments, and today he needs ten days. What kind of closing arguments are those? You defend someone for three years and are unable to write closing arguments, perhaps he doesn't need to write them, maybe he should just say them, he is a good lawyer,” Duraković said.

The families are experiencing constant agony, wondering if something new will occur to Čelik, said the lawyer.

“There is Friday the 13th, and I hope that this time he will receive the maximum sentence, and we are asking for the maximum sentence, and there will be no more leniency for what the Malkoč and Agić families have endured for three years. Their children have been under the ground for three and a half years, and there is still no justice. How long must they wait? This is beyond bitterness. I see that the court is also fed up with this behavior, from the defense, the accused, the families, and everyone else. Every time we have to see disappointment on the faces of the fathers, sisters, families, friends, wondering what will happen. It is a notorious fact that he killed two innocent beings at a crosswalk,” said Duraković.

Enesa Kekić, sister of the deceased Edita Malkoč, said it is too difficult and sad that someone lacks empathy.

“In a fit of anger, a person says all sorts of things, but I think Sanjin Sefić needs more time so that someone might come to their senses. It is sad that I say that, I wish journalists could have recorded Kerim Čelik's examination, we really laughed too. He interrupts himself, then backtracks, and in the end, he extorted what he asked for, another ten days of agony. We have only one wish, for it to end, because we no longer have the emotional, psychological, or physical strength, we are truly exhausted to the core,” said Kekić.

Amir Agić, father of the deceased Selma Agić, said that Sanjin Sefić's statement was pathetic.

“If he had wanted to, he would have said he was guilty right at the beginning when he was apprehended from Novi Sad, and he would have received eight years, and we would have been at peace. Only we know what we are going through and how we react before and after the trial. This is impossible to endure. This is the lowest of the low, this is murder,” said Agić.