Radončić and Others: Prosecutor Hukeljić Spoke About Communication with Accused Hadžijahić

A hearing was held today at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the case against Fahrudin Radončić and others, reports the Patria News Agency.

The indictment charges Radončić, as well as Bakir Dautbašić, Bilsena Šahman, and Zijad Hadžijahić, with committing criminal offenses as an organized group: obstruction of justice and giving or receiving a reward for trading in influence.

At today's hearing, Dr. Jasmina Tanović and BiH Prosecutor's Office prosecutor Mirza Hukeljić testified.

Dr. Tanović is currently retired, but in December, she saw Azra Sarić as a neuropsychiatrist at the Center for Mental Health at the Vrazova Health Center and diagnosed her with adjustment disorder with stress and prescribed medication.

- Azra Sarić was my patient and visited me three times. She contacted me due to a reaction to an event, specifically, she came distressed by the death of a patient who died at the University Clinical Center Sarajevo due to bleeding. I took her medical history, which is half the diagnosis, and prescribed her the mildest antidepressant – said Tanović.

Dr. Tanović also stated that she issued a referral for Sarić to a day hospital, but it is up to the patient whether she wants to go or not.

- I recommended sick leave, but I couldn't issue it; only her family doctor can, and it's not impossible that he had already issued it. She was capable of socializing and working, but given the situation, I recommended sick leave – said Tanović.

Answering questions from the defense, Tanović said that simulation was not possible because she observes the patient from the waiting room and approaches each one very carefully.

At the insistence of the defense attorney for the first-accused Fahrudin Radončić, Muhidin Kapa, that Dr. Tanović state whether Sarić contacted her exclusively because of the patient's death, Tanović said:

- Yes, that's how I understood it – stated Tanović.

Mirza Hukeljić, a prosecutor at the BiH Prosecutor's Office, testified about his contacts with Zijad Hadžijahić and stated that he had prepared an official note on January 6th describing the communication between him and Hadžijahić.

- I have known Zijad since December 22, 2015. He conveyed some details to me regarding an investigation that does not relate to this case, and he did so very professionally. After two or three meetings, we communicated via SMS, and on January 5th, he called me and asked: 'Is it possible that the Prosecutor's Office is conducting an investigation into a case of malpractice? We think it has something to do with the proposed names for ministerial candidates' – said Hukeljić.

Hukeljić further stated that the way Hadžijahić asked him was strange.

- Because when I said I heard something about it, but I think it's a matter for the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office, Zijad interrupted me and said: 'What do you know?', I said: 'Nothing.' Then Zijad said, 'Can you look into it a bit?' – recounted Hukeljić.

The official note that Hukeljić prepared about this conversation does not have a protocol number, and he forwarded it to prosecutor Božo Mihajlović only after January 30th via his internal log.

Responding to questions from Hadžijahić's lawyer, Nermin Mulalić, Hukeljić emphasized that he did not feel that Zijad was intimidating him or pressuring him.

The continuation of the trial of Radončić and others is scheduled for September 14th, when Nermana Hadžijahić, Zijad Hadžijahić's wife, and Admir Suljagić, director of the Secretariat of the HJPC BiH, are expected to testify.