Prosecutor's Office Violates Presumption of Innocence of Police Officer Who Arrested Prosecutor Begić's Husband

TUZLA, (Patria) - Following the press release of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton of February 24, 2020, the defense attorneys of the suspect T.O., pursuant to Article XI, paragraph 2 of the Code of Attorney Ethics, which obliges the defense attorney to provide accurate information in a public statement and prevent any attempt by the prosecutor's office to misinform the public, as well as the influence of public information on the course and outcome of a specific proceeding to the detriment of the party they represent, wish to point out that with this second press release of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton, the presumption of innocence is being flagrantly violated, which represents a continuous violation of the suspect's rights that began with his deprivation of liberty, continued with the denial of the right to be visited by his defense attorney, and culminated in the press releases.

"The one-sided and selective interpretation of evidence, as well as commenting on evidence in a case that is in the investigation phase, and the interpretation of a non-final decision of the Municipal Court in Tuzla, before it was even served to the defense attorneys, and through a press release, only confirms that the defense justifiably argues that the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton cannot conduct this case impartially, but rather the impression is that personal interests of one of its officials prevail.

The Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Tuzla, in its press release, criticizes and insults the defense attorneys, witnesses, and even the entire public of Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling them disgusting and accusing them of 'spinning,' apparently dissatisfied with the expressed disapproval of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the manner in which this case is being handled. It is quite clear to the public that ordinary citizens rarely have the privilege of such swift action by the Prosecutor's Office and that in most cases, months or even years pass from the day of the report to the day any action is taken in the proceedings, or those reports get lost somewhere.

In order to preserve their own professionalism and the confidentiality of the investigation, unlike the Prosecutor's Office, the defense attorneys will not disclose details from the evidentiary material, but will do so in the proper place, which is the court. However, they point out that the Prosecutor's Office is in possession of evidence indicating a completely different factual situation from the one it is trying to present to the public through its press releases. Due to all of the above, the defense attorneys will address all competent authorities to assess the legality and compliance with prosecutorial ethics in the previous actions of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton in this case," stated the attorneys of police officer T.O.