TI BiH: Judiciary continues to collapse, ties with politics, crime, property and performance must be checked

(Patria) - Reactions continue after the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council on Thursday appointed Milanko Kajganić as chief state prosecutor, even though the competition procedure was compromised, first by the disclosure that candidate Diana Kajmaković was mentioned on the Sky application, and later by her placement on the US blacklist, as well as the withdrawal of candidate Miroslav Janjić on the day of the HJPC session on September 29. The HJPC also does not consider it problematic that three other prosecutors are mentioned in Sky communication, which Kajganić was aware of, but he did not take concrete steps nor did he request the Chief Prosecutor's Office to investigate these cases. The Chief Prosecutor's Office subsequently opened a case against Kajmaković and filed a disciplinary complaint.

The organization Transparency International reacted after the HJPC decision.

"TI BiH notes with regret and expresses concern over the fact that the chief prosecutor of BiH was elected in a multiply compromised process. Such an unreliable appointment procedure will further undermine the credibility of the judiciary and contribute to the entrenchment of the judiciary's capture in BiH. TI BiH calls on domestic and international institutions to take without delay the necessary actions to conduct a vetting process of all holders of judicial functions in terms of checking their ties with politics, organized crime, as well as checking their property and overall performance to date," they stated from TI BiH.