Brčko District Prosecutor's Office: Investigation expanded to 13 individuals for election bribery

(Patria) - Intensively investigating electoral irregularities in the recently held Local Elections, the Brčko District Prosecutor's Office has expanded its investigation to a total of 13 individuals suspected of conspiracy to commit the criminal offense of violating voters' freedom of decision.

Late last week, at the proposal of this prosecutor's office, the Basic Court extended the pre-trial detention of the primary suspect organizer A.D. (59), and group members A.H. (52) and A.R. (46), due to suspicion that they conspired to influence voters through bribery to vote for the primary suspect in the elections.

Their detention was extended for two months due to the risk that they could obstruct criminal proceedings by influencing witnesses and accomplices.

On election day itself, the Prosecutor's Office and the Brčko District Police launched an investigation into electoral abuses, within which arrests and searches of a larger number of individuals, premises, and vehicles they use were carried out.

The investigation was opened on suspicion that several individuals, during September and October 2024, conspired to secure votes for the primary suspect A.D., as a candidate for delegate in the Brčko District Assembly, by bribing voters.

The Prosecutor's Office and the Police discovered new details and individuals suspected of participating as co-perpetrators in the commission of this criminal offense on a daily basis.

The investigation has been expanded several times to date, and after new arrests this week, it now includes a total of thirteen suspects.

As stated in the order for the new expansion of the investigation dated November 12, after preparing a certain amount of funds, with the intention of securing a certain number of votes in the elections through voter bribery and facilitating his election as a delegate, A.D. organized a group to which 12 individuals joined, who agreed to bribe voters according to his instructions.

All of them are suspected of the criminal offense of Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Offenses in conjunction with the criminal offense of Violation of Voters' Freedom of Decision.

We remind you that three members of this group were arrested on election day, after which A.R. was ordered into one month of pre-trial detention, which was extended for two months last week.

On October 15, the operational action "Kupac" (Buyer) was carried out, in which the organizer A.D. and group members S.T. and A.H. were arrested, who were also detained for one month at the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office.

Since the investigation continuously revealed the involvement of more suspects, the Prosecutor's Office continuously expanded the investigation, proposing that, for its successful completion, the detention of suspects A.D. and A.H. be extended for two months.

As the court accepted this proposal, the Prosecutor's Office and the Police continued intensive joint action and almost daily arrests of suspected group members.

All of them have been questioned, and further measures are being taken to establish criminal responsibility for violating citizens' electoral rights and freedoms.