Headlines in print media
Oslobodjenje
· BiH is European center for money laundering: 690 million KM laundered through three banks?
· SFOR met with Karadzic’s wife
· Following complaints by the humanitarian organizations: Lagumdzija de-blocked accounts
Dnevni Avaz
· Durakovic accepts Silajdzic’s offer: A spectacular deal for BiH
· Chris Patten: BiH must be happy because it got Ashdown
· AM Sped case: Gavrilo Grahovac blames Behmen
Jutarnje Novine
· Safet Halilovic claims: Silajdzic is a persons for strengthening state institutions
· Ljiljana Karadzic wrote to SFOR
· AM Sped case: NHI will not remove Grabovac
· The Court of BiH’s Appeal Department inaugurated
Dnevni List
· Dragan Covic and Miroslav Coric are responsible for bankruptcy of SOKO?
Vecernji List
· Cardinal Vinko Puljic, the Head of the BiH Catholic Community: the Croat political parties’ policy is unclear
Nezavisne Novine
· A new affair shaking the RS: who is racketeering at the auctions in the RS?
· Carle Del Ponte to bring 50 indictments for the BiH judiciary on June 17
Glas Srpski
· The RS Interior Ministry confirms: The Hague inspects police documentation
· Pale: the letter is not from Karadzic
AM Sped case: the BiH Federation Government accepts Sikiric’s resignation, appoints new Director of the Customs Administration
Oslobodjenje (page 4) and Dnevni Avaz (page 4) report that, at a session in Sarajevo on Thursday, the BiH Federation Government, following prior approval by the Finance Minister, accepted the resignation and dismissed the Director of the BiH Federation Customs Administration, Slavko Sikiric. It appointed Zelimir Rebac from Mostar to the post.
Ashdown welcomes SDP’s readiness to remove all officials involved in the AM Sped case
“The High Representative welcomes the statement made on Wednesday by a member of the SDP Presidency Dzevad Haznadar, who said that any members of his own party implicated in the AM-SPED affair will be asked to resign. The party – and the Alliance – does not want to be associated in any way with corruption. This should, of course, apply to all parties,” OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic told a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday (Oslobodjenje –page 4, Dnevni Avaz – page 10)
Party for BiH’s Gavrilo Grahovac accuses Behmen of non-resolution of the AM Sped case
In a statement for Dnevni Avaz (page 9), the Party for BiH-nominated Minister without Portfolio in the BiH Federation Government, Gavrilo Grahovac, accused the BiH federation Prime Minister, Alija Behmen (SDP), of slowness in resolving the AM Sped case. “For two months now, the Government has not made any concrete decisions or moves related to the case. It is evident that, for that, there is a responsibility of Prime Minister Alija Behmen, who simply did not want that the resolution of the case in an efficient way,” Grahovac said.
NHI will not remove Grabovac
”We do not even think about to request Nikola Grabova, the BiH Federation Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to resign. We have looked into all the documentation (on the AM Sped case) and we have not found anything implicating his responsibility for the case. It is rather about a sort of an attack directed towards Grabovac,” the NHI Vice-president, Mijo Anic, told Jutarnje Novine (page 7).
The Court of BiH inaugurated
Seven judges of the Court of BiH took oath on Thursday before Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers and Minister for European Integration Dragan Mikerevic, by which the beginning of work o this court was made official. The seven judges will form the Appellate Department, which is charged with securing the protection of citizens’ electoral rights. The ceremony was attended by High Representative to BiH Paddy Ashdown, Chairman of the BiH Presidency Beriz Belkic, representatives of the BiH Parliament, BiH Council of Ministers, BiH Constitutional Court, BiH Election Commission and international community. “Corruption is a scourge of the citizens of this country. It was so under the old regime; it was so during the war; and it is so today. We are going to address this problem squarely. We are not going to pretend that it doesn’t exist. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a cornerstone in the effort to eradicate corruption. It is in this Court that those who abuse their public positions and political connections will be prosecuted,” Ashdown told the inauguration ceremony (Dnevni Avaz – page 2 and Jutarnje Novine – page 4 report on the inaugural ceremony with quoting the HR, as Oslobodjenje – page 5, carried the Fena news agency report on the issue, Glas Srpski – page 3, Nezavisne Novine – page 5)
Dispute over the appointments of the two Court of BiH judges
Dnevni Avaz (page 4) reports that the domestic members of the BiH Election Commission are thinking about to submit their resignations because the two judges of the Court of BiH, Milos Babic from Banja Luka and Suada Halilagic from Sarajevo, were, at the moment of their application for the post, illegal occupants of some one else’s property. “ According to our information, neither Babic nor Halilagic are illegal occupants,” OHR Spokesman Kevin Sullivan told the newspaper.
The Serb member of the Presidency nominates candidates for the High Judicial Council
Glas srpski quotes RS Association of Judges and Prosecutors Chairman Mirko Dabic as saying that the Serb member of the BiH Presidency Zivko Radisic proposed Ljiljana Mijovic and Veljko Dukic as candidates for the BiH High Judicial Council, which practically means that the implementation of the High Representative’s Decisions on reform of judiciary has practically begun. Dabic said that the RS Association of Judges and Prosecutors came up with the names of these two candidates adding that he was glad that Radisic accepted the proposal of the Association. “As far as the RS Association of Judges and Prosecutors is concerned, High Representative’s decisions are final and binding. It is up to the RS National Assembly to decide on this issue at its special session”, said Dabic. (page 5)
690 million KM laundered through three banks?
Oslobodjenje (front-page) reports that the teams of the BiH Federation Interior Ministry and a number of Federation Financial Institutions involved in an investigation into the money laundering in BiH have found out that the largest number of suspicious transactions had been made through the Herzegovina offices of Zagrebacka Bank, Hypo Alpe Adria Bank and Reiffeisen HPB Bank. According to preliminary results of the investigation, in this way, a total of 690 million KM have been laundered.
Durakovic accepts Silajdzic’s offer: a spectacular political deal for BiH
Dnevni Avaz (front page) reports that a decision made by the Party for BiH founder, Haris Siljadzic, to run for the BiH Presidency in the next elections together with a move made by Nijaz Durakovic, former SDP BiH leader and one of the most prominent SDP members, who had, according to BH Dani magazine, accepted to be the first candidate on the Party for BiH list for the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, represent the most significant development at the BiH political scene. The spectacular turn will, primarily, put in a difficult position the SDP leader Zlatko Lagumdzija, who now has a double problem. Firstly, he has to decide whether he will compete Silajdzic in the run for the Presidency, and secondly, he will have to find formula how to save unity inside his party.
Lagumdzija de-blocked accounts of the Saudi humanitarian organization
Oslobodjenje (second page) reports that a bank account of the Saudi humanitarian organization Al-Haramain & Al-Masjed Al-Agsa Charity Foundation was de-blocked on Thursday thanks to an effort made by the BiH Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija who, at their request, received the representatives of the organization. The move allows some 300 children to continue attending the organization-run school center.
SFOR met with Karadzic’s wife
Glas Srpski (page 1) quotes on its front page Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic as saying that her husband Radovan Karadzic did not reply to the letter which General John Sylvester had sent to him fifteen days ago. She said that the letter, which she handed over to SFOR, had been written by her, and added she would not disclose the contents of the letter. SFOR Spokesman Scott Lundy told Glas srpski that Karadzic’s wife, Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic, yesterday handed over to SFOR the Karadzic’s letter. “This is a response to our letter that we had sent to Mrs. Karadzic in which we asked her to persuade Radovan Karadzic to turn himself in to the ICTY”, said Lundy. Shortly after this statement, Lundy made another statement in which he corrected this mistake by saying that the letter for which SFOR thought was Karadzic’s was in fact written by his wife, Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic. This mistake happened because Karadzic signature was on the letter. Lundy did not want to disclose the contents of the letter because it is strictly confidential. Nezavisne Novine (page 6), Oslobodjenje (page 7), Dnevni Avaz (page 4) and Jutarnje Novine (page 7).
“The fact is that in cases like this there is something pretty serous going on. I believe that the aim of the letter was to establish what the position of Karadzic would be if he decided to appear before the ICTY. He is aware that the entire case is getting tiresome and the international community is offering him certain benefits by agreeing to stop hunting him down. The letter allegedly sets some requests by the family Karadzic – if he surrendered what treatment would he receive, would it be possible for him to be granted a privileged status in the detention, would it be possible for him to be temporarily released, etc. It is a stage in which I believe we are getting closer to the final outcome of the so-called ‘Radovan Karadzic crisis’. I think that we can expect that a new contact will be made shortly after the letter and that the tensions and quest for Karadzic will be reduced. I believe that an agreement on Karadzic’s surrender to The Hague will be made,” said former Yugoslav Intelligence Agent Bozidar Spasic commenting on the letter sent by Karadzic’s wife for the Nes Radio on Friday
The BiH Council of Ministers adopts draft Law on Veterinary Service
Oslobdjenje (page 7) and Dnevni Avaz (page 2) report that, at a session in Sarajevo on Thursday, the BiH Council of Minister adopted the draft Law on the Veterinary Service and sent it into the urgent parliamentary procedures. When finally adopted, the law will make export of the meat from BiH possible.
Chris Patten: BiH must be happy it got Ashdown
“I believe that Paddy Ashdown will do his job in an extremely good manner. I know him personally, and he is a man with an extraordinary career in the British politics. In Britain he has been recognized as a man full of energy, who always has a vision. He has had strong ties with people in BiH for years, and you are lucky you have it as the High Representative,” Chris Patten, the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, said in an interview with Dnevni Avaz (page 5).
The Association of Expropriated Property Owners: The BiH Federation Government obstructs restitution
“By its versions of the draft restitution law, the BiH Federation Government deliberately violates the European Convention on Human Rights, State and the Entity’s Constitution and the Law on the Trade with Real Estates. It is doing all that just in order to protect interests of 200 politicians who are occupying the nationalized apartments and businesses,” Mustafa Vatrenjak, the President of the Association of the Owners of the Nationalized and Confiscated Property, said at a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday (Dnevni Avaz, page 11)
ICTY investigators searched archives of RS Police in Zvornik and Banja Luka
Glas Srpski quotes Spokesman for the RS Interior Ministry Zoran Glusac as saying that ICTY investigators checked documentation in 8 organizational units of the RS Interior Ministry. He said that out of these 8 organizational units 7 are under jurisdiction of the Zvornik Public Security Center, which also includes police stations in Bratunac, Milici and Srebrenica (page 1). The investigators also checked documentation of the Special Police Force Unit, which is based in Banja Luka. Nezavisne novine carried a similar report onpage 3.
Another scandal is shaking up RS – Who is racketeering at auctions in RS?
Nezavisne novine (page 3) reports that the RS Government recently states that at auctions for privatization of entity-owned companies, one can notice people who blackmail potential buyers. The RS Government also issued a report, which also includes a list of people who showed up even 50 times at bids and never purchased anything. Nezavisne Novine investigated this problem and came up with scandalous results: Petar Dusanic, a controversial businessman from Prnjavor stands behind the organized group of racketeers. According to the paper, Dusanic works in conspiracy with the top management of the RS Directorate for Privatization.
Police confirm 31 embezzlement charges filed against ex-premier of the RS
The RS Interior Ministry confirmed yesterday that Public Security Centre (PSC) Banja Luka on 31 May filed charges against former Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and former Finance Minister Novak Kondic due to illegal payment of 3.5 million convertible marks of budget funds for purchasing apartments and housing credits to government officers in 2000, Nezavisne novine reported (page 5). Spokesman for the Interior Ministry Zoran Glusac said the charges were filed according to the report by Head Service for Public Sector Audit.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Colak says HDZ BiH needs a healthy and unified leadership
In an interview given to Slobodna Dalmacija, Barisa Colak, the acting President of HDZ, says that HDZ needs a healthy and unified leadership and in future none, who sells himself for false promises or some position in the authority, will be able to represent HDZ at any authority level. According to Colak, these days they have had consultations with Croat political parties, first of all, with parties belonging to Croat People’s Assembly about possible pre-election, election and post-election cooperation. With regard to Paddy Ashdown, the HR, Colak stated: ‘The cooperation with the HR and especially the success of that cooperation will primarily depend on willingness of the international officials to respect the will and sovereign and constituent rights of the Croat people. Naturally, non-cooperation with International Community and especially with the HR, is not our goal. In terms of this, I have sent a letter to Paddy Ashdown, the HR, welcoming his stand that ‘Dayton is the floor and not the ceiling’ and that he will not allow ‘constitutional changes that endanger identity or security of any of constituent peoples in BiH.’ In the line with such ideas I am expressing my belief that the attitude towards the Croats in BiH could and have to change and I expect a correct relation and cooperation with Ashdown…’ (pages 18/19)
Vecernji List on coalitions of parties with Croat prefix
Vecernji List reports that the representatives of Kresimir Zubak’s NHI proposed to HDZ to come out with a neutral candidate for the position of a Croat member of the BiH Presidency. The article says that the Sarajevo media speculated that parties belonging to the Alliance are trying to persuade Neven Tomic, a former Mayor of Mostar, to run for this position. According to the article, after the first negotiations, differences in stands of NHI and HDZ are huge. The article says that, most probably the parties belonging to the Alliance and the parties belonging to the Croat People’s Assembly will not have joint candidate for the position of a Croat member of the BiH Presidency. (page 4).
Vecernji List: Cardinal Puljic describes Croat policy in BiH confusing
Vecernji List carries an interview with Cardinal Vinko Puljic, the Vrhbosna Archbishop, who says that Croat politicians were waging a confusing policy, they spent a lot of energy on their mutual disputes and they put an interest of a party before the welfare of the people. Also, many politicians were presenting their personal interests as national ones. Also, according to Puljic, international officials are implementing democracy in an undemocratic way and Croatia does not have a clear stand regarding its support to the Croats in BiH. Asked as to what he expects from Paddy Ashdown, the HR, Puljic said that he would not deal with political assessments and that they simply expect that they (IC?) recognize the Catholic Church and Croat people and give them the same rights as other two peoples have, not only on paper but also in practice. (page 5)
Slobodna Bosna: Hasan Cengic deeply involved in the affair of hidden weapons caches in Mostar
In this week’s Slobodna Bosna, Suzana Mijatovic argues that the former Federation Defense Minister, Hasan Cengic, was deeply involved in the affair of hidden weapons caches in Mostar. According to the weekly, the Federation Defense Ministry at the time was fully informed about the acquisition, transport and storing of large amounts of arms and ammunition in three factories in this town. This was revealed by the documentation recently submitted by a suspect in this case Jusuf Piralic, the former chief of military industry in Herzegovina. This document also indicates that there was a secret agreement on this issue between the war-time and post-war Bosniak representatives in Sarajevo and to a certain extent in Mostar. Mijatovic argues that Piralic’s testimony will be of crucial importance for discovering officials responsible for storing over 200 tons of explosive.
The Soko employees trade union blames Covic and Coric for collapse of the company
Dnevni List carries an article about the “Soko” Company of Mostar, once an economic giant which is now facing serious problems which in turn resulted in a strike of its employees. The daily contacted the Independent Trade Union of “Soko” Employees (NSZ) who put Dragan Covic, a former Federation Deputy Prime Minister and post-war manager of “Soko”, and Miroslav Coric, the current Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Deputy Prime Minister and also a former manager of “Soko”, at fault for the bad situation the company is currently in (page 3).
Foundation King Tomislav denies charges
Slobodna Dalmacija, Vecernji List and Dnevni List (pages 17, 6 and 5 respectively) carry a press release of Foundation King Tomislav (Zaklada kralja Tomislava) in which it refutes accusations of the Federation Ministry of Interior that the former Capljina municipal officials have misused the positions and authorities. The PR says that the real goals of the criminal charges are persecution and elimination of legitimate people’s representatives, the way it was done after Elections 2000 on Federation BiH and state level.
Former HVO general Praljak refutes allegations on his involvement in cigarettes smuggling
In relation to cigarette smuggling business which has been reported on by the media, the reports that linked tobacco factories in Mostar and Capljina with many irregularities, Vecernji List carries an interview with former HVO general Slobodan Praljak, a person who has been mentioned in reports as one of “players” in production and distribution of fake “Marlboro”. The former majority owner of that (Capljina) factory, as Vecernji List presents Praljak, denies the allegations and says that it is case of powerful trade lobbies which smuggle tons of cigarettes spitting on him in an attempt to denounce him. (page 2)
Editorial: Our Presidents socialising
Vecernji List carries an editorial dedicated to the trilateral meeting between presidents of Croatia and Yugoslavia and BiH Presidency which is to be held, according to VL, in Sarajevo next month. VL says that the BiH Presidency, initially having reservations towards the meeting, took upon itself to assume the leading role in preparations for the meeting but only after having talks with the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. The author of the editorial Dejan Jazvic says that all three participants will have their own aims and priorities, namely the BiH Presidency announced that the issues of the meeting should be regional projects and problems, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica on the other hand would like to talk about solving of refugees related problems whilst Croatian President Stjepan Mesic would use the opportunity to once again assure his hosts that Croatia has no territorial aspirations towards BiH (page 2).
Dani hails the appointment of Zoran Pajic but just as a legal expert and not a BiH’s national |
BH Dani hails the move by the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, to appoint Zoran Pajic – an internationally recognized legal expert originally from BiH – as the head of the OHR Legal Reform Department. The weekly notes, however, that this appointment “of the former Bosnian who presently holds a British passport” should not be mistaken for the beginning of the realization of the new High Representative’s strategy of naming BiH citizens to senior posts in the OHR. “The appointment of Pajic provoked anxiety on part of many Bosnians over the criteria used by the International Community for selection of ‘suitable Bosnians’: are those only the ones who left BiH at the beginning of the war, who did not ‘soil’ their hands by staying here, and who have at least one more passport which does not require Schengen visa?” asks Dani. “If Ashdown really wants to prove the authenticity of his determination to engage domestic legal experts, then he should turn and look around himself. The choice is not that great, but someone would have certainly passed. Even if ‘soiled’ by the war and even if he needed Schengen visa.”
Dani’s Lovrenovic: The fact some BiH citizens have Croatian passports is one of the most senseless problems in BiH |
In a commentary in BH Dani, Ivan Lovrenovic, writes that the fact that some BiH citizens have Croatian passport is one of the “most senseless problems plaguing the BiH society and dividing the citizens of this country into two groups”. According to Lovrenovic, “this form of civic and ethnic discrimination is quite traumatic and leaves deep and lasting scars” especially among those with BiH passports who are forced to go through exhausting and humiliating visa procedures when wanting to travel abroad. “It is certain that [Paddy Ashdown] would win an ultimate gratitude and respect on the part of those citizens, if he would, as a part of his priorities, eliminate this discrimination which in most painful fashion affects their basic human rights,” concludes Lovrenovic.
Headlines in electronic media
BHTV (June 6, 1900)
- NATO-led peacekeepers in Bosnia on Thursday scotched reports that top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic had made contact with them, saying a letter they had received was not from him but from his wife. (3)
- Seven judges of the BiH State Court took oath on Thursday before Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers and Minister for European Integration Dragan Mikerevic, by which the beginning of work o this court was made official. (2)
- The U.S. government and BiH signed on Thursday in Sarajevo third amendment on the Agreement of U.S. donation for fulfilling of Community Reintegration and Stabilization Program, increasing funds for the program for $18 million. (1)
- BiH Council of Ministers today adopted the Proposal law on veterinary in BiH which regulates the work of veterinary institutions, as well as trade of products of animal origin, journalists were told after the CoM session. (1)
FTV (1930)
- BiH Minister of foreign affairs Z. Lagumdzija accepted yesterday’s appeal of Rais Ceric and helped in the unfreezing of account of the Al-Haramain humanitarian organization. (2)
- Director of FBiH Tax administration S. Sikiric resigns because of “Am-sped” case. (.3)
- Seven judges of the BiH State Court took oath on Thursday before Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers and Minister for European Integration Dragan Mikerevic, by which the beginning of work o this court was made official.
RTRS (1930)
- NATO-led peacekeepers in Bosnia on Thursday scotched reports that top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic had made contact with them, saying a letter they had received was not from him but from his wife. (2)
- Seven judges of the BiH State Court took oath on Thursday before Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers and Minister for European Integration Dragan Mikerevic, by which the beginning of work o this court was made official. (1)
- The Interior Ministry of Republika Srpska confirmed on Thursday that Public Security Center (PSC) Banja Luka on May 31 filed charges against former Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and former Finance Minister Novak Kondic (1)
FTV1 Pogledi at 2245
- Federation Custom Administration Director Slavko Sikiric resigns. (2.25 min)
- Council of Ministers passes the Draft Law on veterinary (1.20 min)
- First unit of State Border Service founded two years ago at Sarajevo airport(1.40 min)