More than 14 months since arrest, no indictment against Budimir!

More than 14 months since the spectacular arrest of Živko Budimir, President of the Federation of BiH, no final indictment has been filed against him for illegal pardons he is accused of, it has been confirmed to the BiH news agency Patria (NAP) from the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office.

Budimir was conditionally sentenced yesterday for illegally possessing a trophy pistol, which was found during the search of his office.

However, the special forces of the State Investigation and Protection Agency and the prosecutors of the BiH Prosecutor's Office did not come for Budimir to the Presidency building because of the trophy pistol. He was the subject of an investigation for much more serious criminal offenses, primarily corruption in illegal pardons for serious criminals. However, there is still no indictment. The Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office, where the case has been for months, says they are intensively working on "adapting the indictment".

We inform you that the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton is intensively undertaking actions in the case against the President of the Federation of BiH and others, with the aim of harmonizing the indictment in accordance with the Law. As this is a complex case with extensive documentation, the acting prosecutor is continuously working on it, so that the harmonized indictment, along with the evidence, can be sent to the competent court in Sarajevo, about which the public will be informed in a timely manner – they repeat from the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office.

This same answer has been sent to media houses for months, which are seeking the epilogue of the spectacular police operation in the Presidency in April 2013. Namely, the operation was led by the BiH Prosecutor's Office, which arrested the president of the larger entity, who was also in custody for a month.

An indictment was also filed against him and five other individuals: Petar Barišić, Minister of Justice of FBiH Zoran Mikulić, Saud Kulosman, Hidajet Halilović, Željko Asić, and Armin Kulovac. However, the BiH Court rejected it at the end of last year, declaring itself incompetent.

The case was entrusted to the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, and the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office was supposed to prepare a new indictment adapted to entity laws. But, there is still no indictment, and Budimir is preparing for the elections.   

The President of the Federation of BiH, and others, are suspected of criminal offenses of abuse of official position or authority, receiving and giving gifts or other forms of benefit, and illegal mediation, reports NAP.