Professors and students of the American University do not remember Osman Mehmedagić

(Patria) - Witnesses for the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina stated that they cannot recall Osman Mehmedagić, who is accused of abuse of office, studying at the American University.

Asim Jusić said that he was a lecturer at the Faculty of International Law and Diplomacy of the American University from 2011. According to him, the students were mostly younger. He could not recall Mehmedagić.

“I don’t remember having a student with that name,” Jusić said.

When asked if he remembered Mehmedagić taking exams, the witness said that the exams were mostly written and that students took them under a code.

The indictment accuses Mehmedagić of holding the position of Director of the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) from 2019, when his diploma from the Faculty of Business Studies in Banja Luka was annulled, until 2023, when he was dismissed, without the required higher education qualifications. He is accused of abusing his position to remain in a role for which he did not meet the requirements.

Witness Lejla Miller said that she lectured at the American University in 2009. She could not recall lecturing to Osman Mehmedagić.

“I don’t remember, I don’t think so,” Miller said.

She stated that she did not remember any older students, but noted that there were many students.

When asked by defense attorney Nermin Mulalić, Miller confirmed that she generally does not remember students' names.

A witness, whose name the Court has ordered not to be published, said that she enrolled in international law and diplomacy at the American University in 2009. She stated that after graduating, she collected her diploma from the student services, as well as her transcript, and that she also received a diploma from a university in New York, from which they attended some lectures online.

“We were the largest group, over 50-60 students,” the witness said.

She stated that she did not remember Mehmedagić. As she said, there were students of different ages. Mehmedagić commented that he was much younger 16 years ago and was not gray.

Mirela Ibrahimović Mehanović said that from 2019 to 2021 she was the director of the Bosnian Cultural Center in Tuzla and that some premises were rented to the American University. She stated that the American University owed them money and that they filed two lawsuits because of this, which have not been resolved to this day.

The witness recounted how the duty officer once informed her that the American University was moving its belongings, even though they owed them for rent.

The continuation of the trial is scheduled for August 19.