| RADIO HERCEG BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| Indictment against Jelavic | Jelavic case | Beecroft on BiH/PfP | “Q” fever in Banja Luka |
| Trial of 7 Bosniaks | BiH educational centre | Young people leave BiH | Law on Clerks |
| Case of Milan Lukic | II inter. Confer. For child | II inter. Confer. For child | Exhumation process |
| Educational Reform in BiH | Rumsfeld visited Iraq | Rumsfeld visited Iraq | Dragoslav Lukic arrested |
| Oslobodjenje | Golden Lily (war medal) carriers request monthly payment of KM 515 |
| Dnevni Avaz | Dr Nijaz Durakovic – Crosses in Stolac are part of dangerous plan |
| Dnevni List | Medic, Cesic Rojs and Primorac suspected |
| Vecernji List | War criminal exposed in traffic accident |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Third half-time in Grude-Velez football match: Brawl in field of poppies |
| Glas Srpske | Money dealer murdered in Trn: Three bullets – three screams |
| Nezavisne Novine | Branislav Zeljkovic murdered: Murdered, then robbed at the threshold; Sarajevo Conference on rights of children commences: State must stamp out violence against children; Banjaluka: Q fever spreads, 150 infected persons registered |
| Blic | Maja Lukovic, ex-wife of Milorad Ulemek: I will not tell my daughter about her father Legija |
| Dani | Rasim Kadic on new Coalition: Silajdzic + liberals winning combination |
| Ljiljan | Kupusovic: Hadzifejzovic is dead for me |
| Slobodna Bosna | Why it is shameful to bring Ante Gotovina in connection to Karadzic and Mladic! Diplomatic revision of criminal[s] |
Economic/social issues | |
| High Representative’s tourism initiative
| Herceg Bosna Radio, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Bait for tourists’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Ashdown and Ivanic presenting potentials of BiH tourism’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Presentation of the BiH tourist potentials’, Blic, pg. 13 ‘Tourism promotion in the Hague’ mentioned on cover ‘Absurd: promotion of BiH tourism in the Hague’ by SRNA, Dnevni List pg ‘BiH from war zone to tourist destination’ by V.V., FENA – On the eve of the reopening of Mostar’s old bridge, which perhaps best symbolises how far Bosnia has changed from the destruction of the war and will become one of this country’s leading tourist attractions, the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, and Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic will on Friday make a presentation to journalists and travel operators in The Hague on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress during the last ten years from a war zone to a potential tourist destination, OHR spokesperson Vedran Persic told a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday. The High Representative will make similar presentations, in Geneva on Saturday, in Stockholm on Monday, in Berlin on Tuesday, in Paris on Wednesday and in London on Thursday. He will be joined by Deputy Foreign Minister Lidija Topic in Stockholm and Berlin and by Foreign Minister Ivanic in Paris and London. Three BiH tourism experts accompanying the High Representative will speak to European travel operators and the European media about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s potential for adventure tourism, mountain tourism and cultural tourism. |
| Oslobodjenje: Golden Lily carriers request monthly payment of 515 KM | Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘Golden Lilies request monthly payment of 515 KM’ – The carriers of the highest military recognitions/medals in the BiH Army and HVO (Croat component of the FBiH Army) should in a month get a law that would stipulate their rights. The draft, for example, foresees that the carriers of the BiH Army’s Golden Lily receive regular monthly payment of 515 KM. |
| Dixon, Maric, Krsmanovic and Vrankic give up on resignations | Dnevni Avaz pg 5 ‘Dixon, Maric, Krsmanovic and Vrankic give up on resignations’ – The daily claims that following a meeting with HR Paddy Ashdown late on Wednesday, the Chairman of the BiH Indirect Taxation Administrations Steering Board Joly Dixon and the state and entity’s finance ministers, who are members of the body, gave up on their resignations from the membership in the Board. Dnevni Avaz yesterday reported that they had offered their resignations due to the inefficient work of the body. |
| Terzic says Dixon and Causevic should resign | Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Dixon and Causevic should resign’ – the Chairperson of BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, said that the President of the ITA Steering Board, Joly Dixon, and BiH ITA Director, Kemal Causevic, should submit resignations to their positions if they are not capable of establishing the Administration. Terzic said that: “Cuasevic and Dixon should resign from positions if they are not capable of doing their job. Nobody says it is an easy job to do, but they should not be hiding behind me or anybody else. They simply need to work and establish a functional Administration.” Frane Maroevic, Spokesperson of the EC delegation to BiH, said that the EC is concerned over the low level of efficiency in the functioning of the Indirect Taxation Administration, which is one of pre-requisites from EU Feasibility Study. |
| Q fever still spreading | Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Epidemic reached the top’ mentioned on cover ‘Q fever spreads, 150 infected persons registered’; Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Not s single bed in sight’, Blic, pg. 13 ‘New wave is threatening’ by Rajna Radosavljevic, Vecernje novosti, pg. 8 ‘Q-fever is raging’ by M. Labus – Dr Srboljub Golubovic, the Head of Epidemic Department at Banjaluka Clinical Centre said that the capacity of Banjaluka Epidemic Department has been exceeded for 230% after the 50th patient was yesterday admitted to this hospital. The total of the persons so far registered with symptoms of Q fever is 145 persons. He further said that the number of the patients infected will be rising today and tomorrow, after which the epidemic will most likely go slacken. Doctors warn that the incubation period of this epidemic is two or three weeks. Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Spraying of green fields’ – It was announced at the press conference of the Banjaluka City Hall yesterday that the daily disinfecting activities on green fields, presumed to be infected with the Q fever has been performed in Banjaluka as of Wednesday. Disinfecting is performed by the Veterinary Service of Banjaluka. BHTV, RTRS also covered the issue. |
| Decision on ownership of Eronet to be passed today | Dnevni List pg 4 ‘Today decision on ownership over Eronet’ by J.P. carries that the Mostar Municipal Court will pass today a verdict regarding the demand of HT Mostar for the return of 51 % of ownership over Eronet. |
| Dani says purchase of HB linked to Eronet | Dani pgs 22-23 ‘Eight companies with dangerous intentions’ by Emir Suljagic – Claiming that consortium of 8 Croatian companies that purchased Hercegovacka bank [HB] is close to current HDZ authorities in Zagreb, article brings that the “interest of Ivo Sanader and his government in this operation is very clear: Bank will stay under HDZ control, and Croatia will have an opportunity to take over dozens of million Euros frozen in this Bank since April 2001.” Further bringing that sale has been agreed during the recent visit of High Rep Paddy Ashdown to Zagreb, author says that it presents the last part of an operation aimed at taking full control over Eronet, partly owned by HB, and introduction of Deutsche Telekom to BiH through Croatian Telecommunications HT [Note: DT owns a large portion of HT, while HT is one of Eronet shares owners]. “Motive of purchase is not HB, but Eronet. HB is destroyed, and that story is finished… In this way Eronet issue will be solved [on behalf of] HT and Deutsche Telekom,” says DANI source from HT Mostar [note: HT Mostar competes with Eronet for third GSM licence, and currently pursues court case requesting return of Eronet into its ownership, claiming that in 1999, 51% of Eronet shares were illegally sold]. Court case between HT Mostar and Eronet will be finished on 14 May, and magazine concludes that “it is unlikely that HDZ and international financial machinery would leave the result of this case to a luck or independent judiciary. Despite the fact that the law is on the site of HT [Mostar], long hand of HR already showed how long it reaches.” |
| Kotorsko issue | Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Roofs for destruction’ – Obren Petrovic, Doboj Mayor, confirmed that at 09:00 hrs today (Friday), the roofs at the houses of Serb refugees in Kotorsko (which were built up over the past weekend) will be removed with police assistance. However, Sinisa Djordjevic, legal representative of the Serb refugees in Kotorsko, claims that the ban on construction works no longer exists. Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘I will file a complaint’ – GS reports that Doboj City Hall delegates yesterday received a memo from the OHR regarding the activities of Sinisa Djordjevic, legal representative of the Serb refugees in Kotorsko. On this memo, Djordjevic says the following: “Such conduct is inadmissible, because the memo sent by Rado Djurdjevic, OHR political officer, reads that the municipal authorities have allegedly established I am responsible for the escalation of construction works. Djurdjevic proposed that the City Hall should consider the possibility of undertaking measures to prevent me in doing that or diminish the influence I have upon this situation.” Djordjevic further stresses that: “I make a public message to Mr. Djurdjevic and his mentors in BiH and want them to know that the International Bar Association would be informed of this.” |
Political developments/education | |
| OHR, OSCE on education reform
| Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 15 ‘Cantons must not undermine the state’, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Cantons must not undermine BiH authority’ by B. Kristo , Dnevni List pg 2 ‘Cantons must not undermine BiH authority’, mentioned on cover, by De.L., FENA – The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Robert Beecroft, met on Wednesday to discuss a way forward on Education Reform, in light of continued obstruction and the resulting recent loss of millions of Dollars in international financial assistance. In particular, they discussed the latest problem to emerge, namely the refusal of Cantons 2, 6, 7 and 8 to bring their Primary and Secondary Education Laws into line with the State-level Framework Law. This State-level law, which was needed to bring BiH into compliance with its international obligations, was passed with the support of all parties in the State Parliament in June. Since then, all lower levels of government have been obliged to bring their laws into compliance with the State law. This action is also needed to fulfill BiH’s post accession requirements for membership of the Council of Europe and therefore for the successful conclusion to the European Union’s Feasibility Study. The Brcko District, the Republika Srpska, Cantons 1, 3, 4, 5, and 9 have complied fully. Unfortunately, the Cantonal authorities in Western Herzegovina, Herzegovina-Neretva, Central Bosnia and Posavina have refused to amend their laws, thus bringing themselves into direct conflict with the State of BiH and its international obligations. The parties responsible for this refusal to conform to the State’s law are primarily the HDZ, but the SDA and SBiH as well. Commenting the High Representative said: “What we are witnessing goes well beyond the issue of education. The blatant disregard of these Cantons for the State Parliament, the BiH Constitution and the principles enshrined in the Dayton Peace Accord represents nothing short of an affront to governance. In any Federal State, conflicts between different levels of government are a cause for concern. Here, such conflicts represent a clear and present danger to the State.” |
| HSS President Tadic on higher education law | Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘It’s easier to give up on something rather than to preserve it’, by Zeljka Mihaljevic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 7 ‘Tadic: Stories about assimilation of Croats are non-sense’, by Frano Mioc – President of Croat Peasants’ Party, Marko Tadic, stated at a press conference in Livno that in the case of Framework law on higher education, the HDZ either abused the issue or it has been tricked by its coalition partners. According to Tadic, the law does not put into danger neither the Croat university in Mostar nor the Croatia language. “Stories about assimilation of the Croats are non-sense. Neither Turks nor Austro-Hungarians managed to do that. I think that nobody in this state has a right to give up that universities in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla are Croat universities too”, says Tadic reminding that the University of Sarajevo still has Croat professors and Croat students. In that context, Tadic stresses the easiest thing to do is to give all that up. |
| Interview with Dragan Covic/Covic to meet with Sanader today | Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Covic with Sanader on Hercegovacka Banka today’, mentioned on cover ‘Covic and Sanader will talk about Hercegovacka Banka in Zagreb’ by V. Rupcic carries an interview with Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic who mostly talks about his impressions from the visit paid to Iran. At the end of the interview VL says that today Covic with his delegation goes to Zagreb from Iran where they will meet with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. During this meeting they will talk about the cooperation between the two countries, preparations for the meeting of the Inter-State Council, that is to take place at the beginning of June, the economic cooperation and progress in this area and especially about the investment of the people from Croatia and Hercegovacka Banka. |
| Humphreys on RS/BIH | Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘RS should be leading BiH towards European Union’ – In a brief interview to NN, Michael Humphreys, Head of EC delegation to BiH, says that the leading role for the implementation of reforms has now been transferred onto Republika Srpska, noting that the officials of this BiH entity should be leading the campaign for the admission into EU family states. He says: “I would like to see Republika Srpska leading BiH on this path. Republika Srpska should be the motor power of BiH on the path towards EU, instead of an obstacle, which is slowing BiH down.” Although BiH authorities expect much from the upcoming NATO Summit in Istanbul, Humphreys is not an optimist that NATO would invite BiH to become PfP member. According to him, the obstacle is clear – a failure of Republika Srpska to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal. On this he adds: “Progress needs to be made in the field of co-operation with the ICTY. Paddy Ashdown has clearly set pre-requisites 15 days ago and now Republika Srpska is to make the move.” |
| Ivanic in Strasbourg
| Herceg Bosna Radio, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘BiH institutions on the right path for reaching European standards’, Dnevni List pg 8 ‘Institutions on way of reaching standards of European societies’ by Nina – Mladen Ivanic, BIH Foreign Minister, stated at yesterday’s 114th session of the Ministerial Committee of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg that the BiH institutions and entities in BiH are on the right path of reaching the European standards of democratic society. According to press release issued by BiH Foreign Ministry yesterday, Ivanic said that he is satisfied with the fact that BiH is regularly fulfilling all of its duties it has obliged to following its admission into CoE. |
| SNS expelled four members | Vecernje novosti, pg. 18 ‘Officials expelled’ by M. L. – The Presidency of SNS party has reached a decision to expel Svetozar Mihajlovic from Bijeljina, Nedeljko Todorovic from Ugljevik, Slobodan Ristic, Brcko District Assembly councilor, and Vinko Lolic from Banja Luka from the party. The Presidency reached this decision because of “jeopardizing of the party’s reputation, repeated acting against the Program and Statute of the party and false representation in public and media”. Svetozar Mihajlovic has stated that the representatives of SNS Municipal Boards of Laktasi, Prijedor, Knezevo, Ribnik, Bijeljina, Brcko, Samac and Ugljevik have unanimously reached a decision on joining of this party to SNSD. Blic, pg. 13 ‘Lolic confirmed dropping out within SNS’ by SRNA – SNS President Branimir Lolic has confirmed that the information on a part of SNS joining SNSD is partially correct. ‘This information is only partially correct and I claim that the Municipal Boards in Ribnik, Samac, Prijedor and Lopare had not reached such a decision’, Lolic has stated. |
| Petar Kunic on political objectives of his party | Blic, pg. 14 ‘People got tired of being cheated by everyone’ by R. Radosavljevic – Petar Kunic, one of co-establishers of PDP party and now the President of newly-established Democratic Forum, claims that the basic goal of the Democratic Forum (DF) would be the preservation of political and territorial capacity of RS. ‘We must develop and create our own demands and arguments, especially in relations with the International Community, because the lobbying of politics from Sarajevo on uniting of BiH under a cover of European integrations is quite obvious’, Kunic has stated. He also stated the DF party would plead for a revision of the privatisation. |
| SB says SDS financed by diaspora extremist groups, not vice versa | Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Rude MPs will be removed by security’, by Eldina Medunjanin – FBiH Parliament has established a special Commission, whose task is to devise a new Book of Rules for the FBiH Parliament, which should devise ways how to sanction MPs whose behavior is unfit and put an end to marathon-long sessions. According to the Chairman of the Commission, Irfan Ajanovic, the current provisions in the Book of Rules do not give the Speaker of the FBiH House of Representatives broad authorities because he can only issue a verbal warning, which in reality means that insults can go on later on during sessions. In that context, VL says the Speaker will in the future have the authority to temporarily remove an MP in case of unfit behavior. Ajanovic explains: “In case of a conflict situation, when the Chairman has used all the possibilities as prescribed in the Book of Rules, we will give him authorities to intervene with use of security service. Let’s make it clear, someone who does not want to observe the Book of Rules will be removed from the platform, the PA system will be shut down and there will be a break during which there will be a possible decision on sanctions, either by warning, fine or by some other way. I hope such situations will not happen”. |
| FBiH Parliament to introduce sanctions for unfit behavior | Slobodna Bosna pgs 23-25 ‘SDS expertly hides money donations from America and Canada’ by Suzana Andjelic – In line with claims published by Nezavisne Novine that Western intelligence learned SDS supports extremist Serb organization in Chicago, SB says that this charge has not been well grounded. It learned that SDS has been financed by extremists groups in Diaspora, and not the other way around. SB claims that this takes place most often using so-called system of non-resident accounts, which poses no limits regarding an amount of money withdrawn from the bank that also has no insight on the origin of, and further destination of the money. It further claims that a number of these transactions were done through Nova banjalucka Bank and Razvojna [Development] Bank. Money sent by these groups, says SB, ended up in organizations such as Mati Paraskeva, humanitarian NGO from Banja Luka, who formally exists as a women group, but its members are either SDS members or related to them. “As we learn from credible sources inside OHR, after SDS financial report has been submitted, this office sent a request to all banks in RS to put forward reports on SDS business over their accounts… However, OHR experts should certainly also check companies with non-resident accounts in RS banks,” says article. Its concludes that SDS also finances itself with oil smuggling income through Energopetrol RS, a number of private gas stations, Elektroprivreda RS, Hydro Plants, Srpske sume, etc. |
Defence | |
| Beecroft on BiH/PfP
| FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘RS is not co-operating with the Hague’ – Robert Beecroft, Head of OSCE Mission to BiH, yesterday addressed the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna for the last time and pointed what has been achieved in the past three years in BiH. He stressed that BiH is ready for the NATO programme PfP, adding that there is a problem on this referring to the lack of co-operation with the Hague Tribunal by the Republika Srpska side. In a response to Beecroft, BiH delegation at OSCE addressed a request to OSCE member-states to support the initiative for calling BiH into PfP at NATO Summit on 28 June. |
| Radovanovic got Brussels’ support for defence reforms
| Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘BiH made progress in defence reform’, Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Solana and Scheffer’s support to Radovanovic’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘EU preparations for taking over of SFOR’s competence’ not signed,FENA – During his two-day visit to Brussels BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic held several meetings with the top officials of NATO Command, as well as with the officials of the EU Department for Defence and Security, it was announced by BiH Defence Ministry on Thursday. Radovanovic met with the Secretary General of NATO, who has addressed the NATO Council in presenting the results achieved in course of the BiH defence system reform and confirming the credibility of BiH’s candidacy for joining the Partnership for Peace at the Summit in Istanbul. In addition, BiH Defence Minister held talks with the EU High Commissioner for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, about the transfer of competencies from SFOR to the EU forces in the beginning of 2005. Radovanovic also addressed the EU Political-Security and Military Committee. The general impression is that BiH has achieved significant results in reform of the Armed Forces, establishing a civilian chain of command and full parliamentary control over the Armed Forces. However, it was underlined once again that full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, i.e. extradition of indicted war crime suspects, is a commitment that must be fulfilled for BiH’s admission into PfP. |
| SFOR received names of new candidates for the top military posts | BHTV, FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘SFOR got 12 names’ – SFOR on Thursday received the list of names of the candidates for the top military positions in the BiH armed forces. The list contains names of 12 new candidates with appropriate CVs and it has bee officialy sent by BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic. In another article on the issue, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Brdar, Pikaus, Zadro, Susac, Pavlak, Tanjic, Hrustic, Pelko Gutic, Begic…also nominated’ carries names of some candidates that are allegedly on the list proposed by FBiH Dwefence Minister Miroslav Nikolic. Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Pelko and Tanjic proposed to positions in command’ also addressed the issue. |
| A Serb from Serb Sarajevo challenges nomination of a Bosniak candidate for top military post | Blic, pg. 17 ‘My father was killed under Foric’s command’ by J. D. – Dragan Lalovic from Serb Sarajevo claims his father and four other Serbs were taken from Dobrinja street in Sarajevo at the beginning of the war by soldiers under the command of Sakib Foric, who has passed SFOR vetting process and got a support of BiH Parliament for the appointment to the position of a Deputy Commander of BiH Armed Forces Operative Command. He said he had not found his father’s mortal remains as yet and believes that Foric certainly knows who had killed his father and where the body was buried. ‘After they took away all Serbs from Dobrinja street, Foric’s warriors first looted then torched all their property’, Lalovic explained. |
| NHI proposes introduction of moratorium on military service | Slobodna Dalmacija pg 18 ‘NHI: 5 years without military service’ by F, Vecernji List pg 2 ‘For 5-year moratorium on military service’ by E. Medunjanin and Dnevni List pg 6 ‘Army without salaries for November and December’ by M. Batarelo carry that NHI issued a press release which, among the other things, says: “NHI believes that only introduction of 5-year moratorium on military service can secure stabilization and consolidation of the financial situation in the Federation of BiH Defense Ministry and the FBiH Army.” NHI also says in their press release that saved money would be spent on stabilization of the situation in the professional composition of the FBiH Army. NHI reminds that meeting of reform obligations, that refer on reduction of number of soldiers, is late and that the FBiH budget has been already breached. |
| Ljiljan on investigation into FBiH MoD spendings | Ljiljan pg 34 ‘Why is SFOR silent?’ by Mustafa Borovic – Magazine claims that a big “purge” of FBIH Defence Ministry personnel takes place due to the illegal spending of budget, and that the probe into these allegations has been carried out by MoD Chief Inspectors, authorized Prosecutor, FBiH Interior Ministry and Financial Police. Outlining some details of the illegal spending, author says that investigation so far showed responsibility of former Defence Minister Mijo Anic and his Deputy Ferid Buljubasic, as well as the number of their assistants. However, author notes that while HR Paddy Ashdown removed Anic and his deputy Buljubasic, their associates were left to continue to perform duties as until then. “While SFOR checks in details and drastically punishes brigadiers of FBiH Army, [those] assistants of current MoD Miroslav Nikolic, quietly enjoy and are not held responsible… For absurd to be even bigger, after Sulejman Tihic’s refusal, they are in position to propose new candidates and establish State Ministry and FBiH Army Joint Commander in accordance with their own wish,” concludes the article. |
Judical proceedings/crime/security | |
| Jelavic/Hercegovacka Bank case
| Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 3 ‘Manager Karlovic and friar Ivan Sevo indicted together with Jelavic, Rupcic and Prce’, by Z. Tulic – The indictment against Ante Jelavic has been sent to the BiH Court Judge Bernar Bolan. The indictment against Ante Jelavic has bee filed by John Macner, the BiH prosecutor for organized crime, economic crime and corruption. By Wednesday the judge Bolan should bring a decision of accepting or rejecting the indictment. The indictment is related to the Herzegovina Bank financial operations. Besides Ante Jelavic, the former president of HDZ and the member of the presidency in BiH, Macnear also indicted Miroslav Prce, the former federal Minister of defense, Miroslav Rupcic, the former director of Herzegovina Insurance, Ivica Karlovic, the former director of the Herzegovina Bank, and Friar Ivan Seva, the member of administrative committee of this bank. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Will Jelavic and the others be accused of major financial abuses?’ also addressed the issue. Dnevni List, front pg and pg 5 ‘Medic, Cesic Rojs and Primorac suspected’, by N. Dedic– notes that the investigations into the ‘Hercegovacka bank’ case goes on, saying that new names in the second bill of indictment include Ivan Azinovic, Ljubo Cesic Rojs, Ivan Medic and Vilim Primorac. DL got a confirmation from the Special department of BiH Prosecution for organized crime that the bill of indictment against Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce and Miroslav Rupcic has 36 accounts, and that a bill of indictment is also filed against Ivica Karlovic and friar Ivo Sevo. Prosecutor John McNair did not want to comment the bills of indictment saying that the material is yet to be made available to the suspects and their lawyers. The bills of indictment were yesterday submitted to the BiH Court, namely to Judge Bernard Boland. The decision on bills of indictments is to take place by next Wednesday. Slobodna Bosna pg 12 ‘Prosecutor McNair wrote indictment against Jelavic and Co. on 70 pages’ by S.A. – Following the announcements that State Prosecutor for organized crime John McNair filed indictments against Ante Jelavic, Miroslav Prce, Miroslav Rupcic and several others, SB writes that indictment has been written on 70 pages. “SB sources claim that prosecutor McNair specified all criminal actions registered in Hercegovacka Bank, as well as main carriers of money embezzlement in this bank. There is also a mention of dozens of persons that committed crimes by taking, and not paying back, credits from the bank. If prosecutor McNair proves the charges, protagonists of robbery in HB are facing a threat of years long imprisonment!,” concludes the article. |
| Kresevo: War crimes suspect arrested in traffic accident | Vecernji List, front page ‘War criminal exposed in traffic accident’, and pg 3 ‘Guilty of traffic accident, locked up for war crimes’ by Ana Drmac, Slobodna Dalmacija, page 20, ‘Arrest warrant – after traffic accident’, by B. Jukic – one Mato Miletic, after which the Sarajevo Cantonal Court issued an arrest warrant back in 1999, got arrested in Kresevo on Thursday morning. It is interesting that Miletic got arrested after he took part in a traffic accident, and after the Police took his personal details and checked them in the database, it was revealed that Miletic is wanted by the FBiH authorities. Spokesperson of the FBiH Ministry of Interior, Robert Cvrtak, confirmed the existence of the so-called central arrest warrant, not wanting to reveal why Miletic is being searched for. According to SD’s unofficial information, it is likely that Miletic is wanted because of war crimes. VL learns from Miletic’s friends that Miletic had been living in Herzegovina since 1999 and that he had been paying odd visits to Kresevo since then. He was also one of co-owners of ‘Mato’ fuel station in Kresevo. |
| Murder in Banjaluka
| Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Three bullets – three screams’; Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Dealer murdered at home, BAM 43 thousand taken away’ mentioned on cover ‘Murdered, then robbed at the threshold’ – Three disguised assailants at 23:30 hrs on Wednesday evening murdered Branislav Brane Zeljkovic (47), refugee from Drvar, known as money dealer in Banjaluka. He was murdered in his house courtyard in the settlement of Trn. The murderers stole the amount of BAM 43 thousand from the house. Police confirmed it is engaged in a thorough investigation on this case. The Banjaluka District Public Prosecutor, Slobodan Salic, confirmed that the murder took place, noting that further investigation needs to be conducted in order to determine the type of criminal act (whether it was robbery with fatal consequences or murder with theft as a motive). |
| GS on OHR denial re investigation into war crimes against Serbs in Brcko | Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Covering with ashes?’ – Suzana Pejcic, OHR Spokesperson in Brcko District, yesterday denied information that Gerhard Sontheim, Deputy District Supervisor, asked from the Chief District Prosecutor to launch an investigation into the war crimes committed against the Serbs in Brcko during the war. She said that this issue is not under the authority of OHR, noting that the material was handed to “institution in charge” without a single comment. GS further raises two questions. First one is whether OHR is now “covering itself with ashes”, because the letter Sontheim addressed to Prosecutor can be regarded as a demand. Second question is raised about double standards – OHR now declares itself not-in-charge of the case, but it seems to be insisting on disclosing the war crimes committed in Srebrenica, GS reads. |
| Hague Tribunal Prosecution denies negotiations with Milan Lukic | Blic, pg. 12 ‘There were no negotiations with Milan Lukic’ by BETA – Prosecutor Peter McCloskey denied yesterday in the courtroom of the Hague tribunal media claims that the prosecution had negotiated with Bosnian Serb Milan Lukic, indicted for serious crimes against Muslims during the war in BiH, in order to obtain information on Radovan Karadzic from him. ‘I have heard of these reports in the press but I have no reason to believe them. Milan Lukic stands accused of some of the worst war crimes committed in Bosnia-Hercegovina’, McCloskey said at the trial to former Serb Republic Army officers Vidoje Blagojevic and Dragan Jokic, indicted for taking part in the mass murder of Muslim prisoners in Srebrenica in 1995. Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘There were no negotiations with Milan Lukic’ also covered the issue. |
| Trial to Head of Special Operations of FOSS Kristina Silic | Dnevni List, pg 60 ‘Colin Munro saw the defendant at press conference’, by Vanja Pusic – the BiH Court continued with the trial to Kristina Silic, the Head of Special Operations Department of the FOSS (FBiH Intelligence Agency), who is charged with endangering of safety of Colin Munro, former Head of OHR South and person under international protection, on April 6, 2001 at Hotel Ero in Mostar. During the trial, a statement of Colin Munro was read. Munro says that a female entered the OHR South premises in Hotel Ero, who told him that he and his staff had 10 minutes to leave the premises without taking anything along. Munro took it as a threat. Furthermore, Munro described her as a tall and slender person, with short hair. Munro also heard her answering a phone call, introducing herself as either Marijana or Kristina. Apparently, he only realized who she actually was in October 2001 during a press conference at Hotel Ero, when he saw her among the journalists. He then asked that everybody present was to sign in, and the woman signed herself in as ‘Kristina Silic, a Dnevni List reporter’. Other BiH media also reported on the issue. |
| SB on OSA appointments and Vuksic
| Slobodna Bosna pgs 12-13 ‘Ashdown saves his questionable spies’ by S.M. – SB claims that Ivan Vuksic, dismissed FOSS Deputy Director, has started to lobby for a position of SIPA Director, and that he faces two obstacles in this regard. The first one is to remove current SIPA Deputy Director Dragan Lukac, in which according to SB he is supported by SIPA official Emir Bijedic and current FOSS Deputy Director Zdravko Jukic. SB also says that they already prepared criminal charges against Lukac. In addition, author says that Vuksic has no IPTF certificate or rank of chief inspector, as stipulated by the law, which is his second obstacle. “Elimination of Croat candidate for position of Chief Inspector in BiH Intelligence Service [OSA], Mladen Alpeza, by OHR was,… a concession made in favor of Vuksic and his intelligence circle… So, if OSA is to be lead by Almir Dzuvo, without a single day of working experience in intelligence, and his first assistant would be Risto Zaric, years long protector of war criminals, than why Zdravko Jukic would not be a Chief Inspector and Vuksic head of SIPA?,” concludes the article wandering is this “intelligence reform promised to us by HR Paddy Ashdown year ago?!” Slobodna Bosna pg 16 ‘Vuksic asked from British to reward him for dirty jobs he did for them when he was FOSS Director’ by Senad Avdic – In addition to above given allegations, this article brings that when Mladen Alpeza has been nominated for one of the key positions in OSA, “criminal-intelligence underground temporary positioned in FOSS – Ivan Vuksic, Kristina Silic, Zdravko Jukic, etc – … raised its combat readiness to highest level.” Magazine claims this was followed by the meeting held last week between this group and their “British patrons”, whom they threatened to disclose all ‘dirty jobs’ they did for British if HR Paddy Ashdown confirms Alpeza’s appointment. Finally, magazine says that Ashdown promised a number of favors for the group, including acquittal of Kristina Silic and Ivan Vuksic in their separate cases before the courts, and appointment of Vuksic to SIPA Head position. |
Incidents/affairs | |
| Disputes over Stolac crosses | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘The Way of the Cross above Stolac’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Lovrenovic requests FBiH Government to remove illegally placed symbols’ – Although the historic area of the Stolac fortress was declared a national monument by the State Commission for Preservation of National Monuments a year ago, the construction of big concrete crosses on the facility has been started. Chairman of the Commission Dubravko Lovrenovic on Thursday therefore reminded FBiH Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic of these illegal construction works adding it was about a criminal act that may be sanction by up to three years in prison. Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg. 5 ‘Crosses in Stolac are part of dangerous plan’ – The deputy to the State Parliament, Nijaz Durakovic, fiercely reacted to the latest incident in Stolac assessing it was about implementing a plan of forcible Catholicisation of this Herzegovina town that had no foundation in history. Dnevni List pg 7 ‘SDA is against construction of crosses in Old Town’ by N.B. and Slobodna Dalmacija last page ‘SDA condemns construction of religious symbols in Stolac’ by F carry that the SDA Municipal Board expressed disapproval over the fact that construction of mounts for crosses on the location of the Old Town in Stolac hasstarted. The SDA Stolac believes that these works are illegal since this area has been proclaimed a national monument on the ground of the decision of the Commission for Preservation of BiH National Monuments. The SDA Stolac press release goes on to say that for this reason they are surprised by the behavior of the Head of the Stolac Municipality Zeljko Obradovic who stands for resolving of the problems through authority institutions only declaratively. Commenting on this issue, DL carries Obradovic as saying that the inspection has been in the field and he expects to receive their report today. Obradovic added that they established a contact with the aforementioned Commission that will come to Stolac these days. Obradovic also said: ”There is no need to raise media dust and the whole case should be analyzed and resolved according to law.” Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘SDA’s condemnation’ also carries SDA reaction to the construction of crosses in Stolac. |