HNK Cantonal Prosecutor's Office Opens Criminal Case Following Nermin Nikšić's Statements: He Will Also Have to Testify on Corruption in HNK MoI

(Patria) - The HNK Cantonal Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case based on media reports and in response to statements by the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH regarding alleged corrupt practices in the HNK Ministry of Internal Affairs Police Administration during the recruitment of new employees.

The Prosecutor's Office will request urgent action and verification of the allegations in this case from the Federal Police Administration of FBiH or the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), all with the aim of establishing all relevant facts and collecting evidence, and potentially determining criminal responsibility, as well as the perpetrators.

We remind you that Nikšić stated during his guest appearance on TVSA that he had information that 10,000 KM was being paid for a police officer position and 20,000 KM for an inspector position in the HNK Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Prime Minister of HNK, Marija Buhač, reacted to these statements, emphasizing that Nikšić had made serious insinuations and direct accusations against employees of the HNK Ministry of Internal Affairs Police Administration.

She stressed that she did not expect behavior based on the principle of "he said, she said" from a public official, especially one in a high-responsibility position, in this case, the head of the entity executive power, particularly not populist and unfounded public disturbance at the expense of any level of government.

Nikšić, while a guest on TV Sarajevo, stated that he had received a report that money was being sought for employment in the police in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, and that 10,000.00 KM was being sought for a police officer position and 20,000.00 KM for a junior inspector position. Given that this is a serious accusation of extremely grave criminal offenses, made in the public sphere, Prime Minister Buhač publicly asked her colleague at the federal level whom and when he reported the knowledge of the described actions.

"As Mr. Nikšić himself said in his extremely irresponsible statement, 'the citizens of BiH deserve for institutions to fight corruption and crime by all available means,' I remind him on this occasion of Article 228, Paragraph 1 of the Law on Criminal Procedure of FBiH, which states: 'Officials and responsible persons (...) are obliged to report criminal offenses about which they have been informed or have learned in any other way.' I also remind him of Article 345, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of FBiH, which prescribes the punishment of an official who fails to report a criminal offense they learned about in the performance of their duties – wrote the Prime Minister, adding that the HNK Government will deal sharply and uncompromisingly with any occurrence of corrupt practices, regardless of the perpetrator's origin, with concrete actions, not populism through television screens.

Buhač reminds the public that the fight against corruption is one of the key determinants of the HNK Government's Guidelines for Action, inviting everyone who may have knowledge of corrupt practices in HNK to report them to the competent authorities without delay. She assessed the behavior demonstrated by the head of the federal government, unprovoked and without offering any evidence for his claims or any document showing that he reacted to the statements in a manner prescribed by law, as unacceptable.

"Although Mr. Nikšić said in his TV appearance that he did not target anyone with his statements, there is no doubt that a poisoned arrow was fired. However, it remains unclear why he fired it towards the HNK Government, in which his party is part of the ruling coalition. That coalition in HNK functions at the level of understanding, consensus, and agreement, basing all its decisions on the letter and spirit of the law. No unfounded accusation that undermines the foundations of public trust in the work of our police is acceptable to us, and we strongly condemn such behavior," Buhač stated.