Radončić and Others: Defence Raises Numerous Objections to Prosecution Evidence, There Was No Ground for Suspicion!

The trial of Fahrudin Radončić, Bakir Dautbašić, Bilsena Šahman and Zijad Hadžijahić continued, with the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina proceeding to submit material evidence, Patria reports.

We remind you, Radončić and three others are charged with obstruction of justice. Prosecutors Elvira Stanojlović and Suada Pašić today presented a series of orders and documents that were sent to the State Investigation and Protection Agency, as well as to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proposing the initiation of special investigative measures involving secret recording and interception of telecommunications services, as well as secret surveillance of individuals, which, as the defence emphasised, was never carried out.

Thus, on 22 December 2015, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH sent an act to SIPA stating that, due to grounds for suspicion that Bakir Dautbašić and Bilsena Šahman had committed the criminal offence of obstruction of justice, necessary and special investigative measures were required. As evidence, the Prosecutor's Office also presented an order from the Court of BiH dated 23 December 2015 for the execution of the Prosecutor's Office's order for special investigative measures.

Radončić's defence, in raising objections, emphasised that the Prosecutor's Office of BiH never submitted a report to the Court of BiH on the implementation of the special investigative measures, and noted that they maintain their claims that the telecommunications connections and recordings were unlawfully obtained.

It was noted that special investigative measures cannot be a means of proving reasonable suspicion. Defence lawyers repeatedly stated today that the order for intercepting conversations, issued by the Court at the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, explicitly mentions suspicion that the accused attempted to influence Azra Sarić, who was to testify in the case against Naser Kelmendi in Kosovo. Therefore, there was no basis to initiate proceedings, as one cannot speak of the act of obstruction of justice.

Today, it was heard that the order contains no act that occurred in BiH, and that at the time the order for conducting special investigative measures was submitted, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH still had no grounds for suspicion, which is the first prerequisite for special investigative measures. The lawyers stated that the proposal for the order also lacks an explanation of which other methods were used.

From the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, they say they presented the documents and that, based on their implementation, they proved that the statements of Azra Sarić regarding her contacts with Bakir Dautbašić, Bilsena Šahman, Aziz Šukalo and Sabahudin Žujo are accurate.

Dragan Barbarić, one of Radončić's lawyers, while raising objections to this evidence, asserted that nowhere in the order for conducting special investigative measures is the name of Fahrudin Radončić mentioned, and that someone at SIPA later added Radončić's phone number, and his number was also analysed, which ultimately meant an expansion of the investigation to include Radončić himself.

Given that the defence will soon begin presenting its own evidence and hearing witnesses, journalists were interested in whether Bakir Izetbegović would be called as a defence witness.

Asim Crnalić, Radončić's lawyer, said he is still undecided and not sure that Izetbegović will be their witness, to which Radončić said:

- Bakir is my favourite character and I will personally try to convince them to call him anyway - said Radončić.