US Senator Calls for Travel Ban and Asset Freeze for Politicians in BiH Due to Corruption

As reported today by Belgrade's "Večernje novosti", US Senator Roger Wicker, co-chairman of the influential Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, points out in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry the high level of corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina among high-ranking politicians in Sarajevo and advocates for punitive measures against them, reports the Patria News Agency.

Without naming names, he proposes a ban on entry into the US and freezing of assets for corrupt officials and those who support them.

"This type of corruption is halting BiH's economy, stealing progress from the citizens of this country, paralyzing its progress towards European integration, and exposing foreign investors to risk, including those from the United States," Wicker states.

In his letter, he encourages the Obama administration to allocate additional funds to expose and document corruption in BiH and take punitive steps.

"Evidence of corruption should be shared with our European partners, to give the European Union an opportunity for similar actions. Coordinated international efforts against corruption in Albania could serve as a useful example in this regard," Wicker concludes.

In November 2015, Wicker, along with Senator Jeanne Shaheen, proposed a bill to the Senate that would establish a fund modeled after US programs that supported the economies of Central and Eastern Europe with $10 billion after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The bill specifically promotes the private sector in BiH, with the help of a $30 million fund over the next 15 years, which would introduce US investors into BiH's economy.