OHR BiH Media Round-up, 1/6/2004

Oslobodjenje

Mladic crossing border by helicopter?!

Dnevni Avaz

Intelligence officers on new checking

Dnevni List

Carla del Ponte in Mostar today

Vecernji List

Every fourth product is a fake

Slobodna Dalmacija

Investigations to be extended on Lovric and Covic?

Glas Srpske

RS leadership with ICTY Chief Prosecutor: Ready to cooperate

Nezavisne Novine

Carla del Ponte in Banja Luka: Arrests to replace promises; Audit into expenditures of BiH Presidency: Covic and Tihic spent budget resources irrationally; “Freedom House” Report: Corruption is an obstacle to Rule of Law in BiH

Blic

Del Ponte set December as deadline; Dispute between RS Government and Health Care Fund: Where did 50 million KM go

Belgrade’s Nacional

Englishmen are guarding Karadzic

Cooperation with ICTY/PfP membership

Del Ponte in B. Luka

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, FTV, RTRS, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Arrests to replace promises’; Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Ready to cooperate’, Blic, pg. RS1 ‘She expects arrests by the end of December’ by Marija Jandric mentioned on cover ‘Del Ponte set December as deadline’, Vecernje novosti, pg. 2 ‘Start implementing what you say’ by M. Labus, Oslobodjenje pg 7, mentioned on cover ‘RS facing difficult challenge’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Del Ponte expects concrete results by June’, mentioned on cover ‘Del Ponte: I expect concrete results’, Dnevni List cover and pg 15 ‘Carla del Ponte in Mostar today’, by Nina and Vecernji List pg 2 ‘Joining Partnership for Peace – political issue’, mentioned on cover ‘Joining NATO political issue’, by B. Stevandic – Following yesterday’s meetings in Banja Luka with RS most senior officials, Carla del Ponte, ICTY Chief Prosecutor, said that RS is expected to make a serious step forward in cooperation with the ICTY until June Summit of NATO.  She also said that RS officials told her there is a political will to cooperate with the Hague, but the Tribunal now expects to see some concrete results. She said: “If the political will, demonstrated by the RS leadership, is applied in all Government institutions, I believe we will soon see results in all aspects of cooperation with The Hague.”

Del Ponte also expressed hope that Radovan Karadzic would be arrested by the end of this year.

Dragan Cavic, RS President, promised that RS would improve cooperation with the ICTY, stressing that they have one month more to demonstrate “operational cooperation” with the Hague Tribunal. Cavic also said that RS can no longer bear the political burden of non-cooperation with the Hague. He said: “After eight years, we must show we have got over the sensitivity of this issue, because the issue of war crimes must be transferred from the sphere of politics into the sphere of justice.”

Apart form meeting Cavic, del Ponte also yesterday had separate meetings with Mladen Ivanic, BiH Foreign Minister, Dragan Kalinic, RS Parliament Speaker, Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, and RS Ministers of MoI, Defence and Justice respectively, Zoran Djeric, Milovan Stankovic and Saud Filipovic.

Mikerevic stated that: “We will try to make some results in the coming period – this includes either surrender or arrest of war crime suspects.”

According to NN inset, del Ponte yesterday also met with the representatives of the RS Association of former inmates, who handed her documentation related to war crimes committed against Serbs. According to Branislav Dukic, President of the Association, the handed material contains thousands of pages of documents, including statements of witnesses, audio, photo and video material. He also said that the Association “is aware the Tribunal is engaged in investigation against some individuals from the war time Bosniak leadership.”

BHTV interview with Del Ponte

BHTV – Carla del Ponte arrived in Sarajevo late on Monday and she was interviewed by BHTV reporter Mujo Delibegovic. She said that she would be pleased if war criminals were to be arrested. She said that 5 of them were in RS and that she would be pleased if Radovan Karadzic was to be arrested in a month. She said that Chairman of the Hague Tribunal said that ICTY would not stop with its work until all most wanted war criminals are arrested. She said that Radovan Karadzic was probably in RS. She said that she was not bringing any new indictments adding that there were several more indictment which would be filed by the end of this year, when all further investigations would be stopped. 

Del Ponte to visit Mostar today

Herceg Bosna Radio, Dnevni List pg 15 ‘The Hague is finally processing ‘Uborak case’, mentioned on cover ‘Carla del Ponte in Mostar today’, not signed , Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘Carla del Ponte in Mostar today’ by A. Vlaho, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Today in Mostar, tomorrow in Srebrenica’ report that del Ponte is going to visit Mostar today for the first time. DL says that with regard to this visit, citizens of Mostar are expecting that the ICTY will finally process the ‘Uborak’ case .

Slobodna Dalmacija pg 5 ‘Del Ponte decides on candidacy to EU’ not signed announces the visit that del Ponte will pay to Zagreb on June 3 and 4.

SDS on del Ponte’s visit

RTRS, Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Parties cannot take over responsibility of institutions’; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Cooperation is indisputable’, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Not only RS is responsible for cooperation with The Hague’ – Dusan Stojicic, SDS Spokesperson, yesterday stressed that the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal “is more an institutional issue, rather than an issue to be addressed to political parties”.

He is of the view that “political parties cannot take over responsibility of institutions. However, RS institutions are not the only address, which should bear full responsibility for the failure to arrest war crime suspects.”

He said that international factors in BiH and some BiH institutions, such as State Border Service, are also responsible.

Djeric: RS Interior Ministry does its best

Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘RS Interior Ministry does its best’ – According to RS Interior Minister Zoran Djeric, the Ministry will do its best and it is already doing what is in its competence to make the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal more quality and better. Djeric told the daily he was satisfied with the meeting with Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte in Banja Luka on Monday.

SRS on del Ponte’s visit

Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Space for speculations and bargains open’; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Distorting of truth’ – Milanko Mihajlica, President of RS Serb Radical Party, yesterday commented on Carla del Ponte’s visit to Banja Luka by saying that: “Instead of holding separate meetings, del Ponte should have held a joint meeting with the RS delegation, led by Dragan Cavic, RS President, and in the presence of RS Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker.”

He is of the view that yesterday’s separate meeting created space for various political speculations and various sorts of bargains.

SNS on del Ponte’s visit

Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Agreement instead of fights’ – SNS yesterday released a press statement, in which this party expressed its view that yesterday’s separate meetings between the top leadership of the RS and ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, show and prove that the top leadership of the RS does not have a strategy in regard to relations with the Hague Tribunal and that such activities have led the RS into unenviable position. SNS press release stressed that the politicians without a vision are to bear responsibility for this.

Ivanic, SIPA Director Novic on PfP, cooperation with ICTY

BHTV – Mladen Ivanic, BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs said that he expected no consequences if BiH would not be admitted into Partnership for Peace. “Non-acceptance into Partnership for Peace will not bring any kind of catastrophic consequences”, said Ivanic. ”Our evaluation is that in next several months special department for investigation of war crimes will be established, some activities will be conducted in Department for protection of witnesses and that special squad will be established which will support the Department, ”said Sredoje Novic, Director of SIPA. If everything goes by plan, SIPA would be able to start arresting war criminals, by the end of this year.

Marsicanin on Karadzic

Nacional Belgrade daily, pg. 4 ‘If it is so easy, why don’t you arrest Karadzic’ not signed – Presidential candidate Dragan Marsicanin walked through Belgrade streets yesterday with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, Deputy President of the Government Miroljub Labus, Minister for Capital Investments Velimir Ilic and SPO leaders Vlajko Senic and Vojislav Mihajlovic. They talked to citizens and journalists during their walk. Among other things, Marsicanin stated: ‘Demands of the Hague Tribunal are putting us in a position to prove something that is a negative fact. How to prove he is not here? For that matter, why doesn’t the International Community prove and implement their obligation – locating and arresting Radovan Karadzic. It is not so simple’.

Oslobodjenje: Mladic crosses border by helicopter

Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs. 4-5 by Azhar Kalamujic – The BiH State Border Service has been informed that the most wanted war crime indictees had crossed state border with Serbia and Montenegro several time in the past two months at the locations near Srebrenica, Rudo, Cajnice and Visegrad, the daily learns. These are places poorly or not controlled at all by the SBS. The Service has also received information according to which Ratko Mladic has been using helicopter to cross the border.  

Vjesnik, pg 11 ‘Noose around Mladic tightening?’, by V. F. P. – according to the Belgrade-based ‘Balkan’ tabloid, which called upon a source close to the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro, former Commander of RS Army, Ratko Mladic, will be arrested and extradited to the ICTY before the country extradites any of its indicted army and police generals (Nebojsa Pavkovic, Vladimir Lazarevic, Sreten Lukic and Vlastimir Djordjevic). The source says the authorities in S&M are not extraditing the four generals because the local September elections are approaching. Furthermore, ‘Balkan’ reads the Serbian authorities are searching after Mladic, but keeping it away from the public because of the forthcoming elections. Apparently, the search has already given certain results.

DL: 6 new bills of indictments against Croats

Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Covic, Sanader and Mesic informed about new indictments from The Hague’, mentioned on cover, not signed – the daily learns from its anonymous associate that the ICTY Prosecution has prepared six new bills of indictments against six officers of the HVO, who were allegedly being questioned in capacity of suspects at the OHR premises in Sarajevo, which was confirmed by the security that guards the OHR Sarajevo. DL says the identity of the persons in question is known to the daily, but does not want to expose the officers. DL goes on to say that one of speculations in The Hague says the six officers will be prosecution witnesses in processes against Prlic, Petkovic, Pusic, Praljak, Stojic and Coric. DL’s source says the six officers have already informed the Croatian Prime Minister, Ivo Sanader, the office of Croatian President Stipe Mesic and the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, about the situation.

Radovanovic on PfP

Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Istanbul’s key is in The Hague’ – BiH Defence Minister Nikola Radovanovic on Monday expressed satisfaction because the technical part of conditions for the BiH’s accession to the Partnership for Peace program had been fulfilled and because BiH in this sense represented a credible candidate for the program. He however added that the full cooperation with the ICTY was the condition yet to be fulfilled.   

Ashdown: Karadzic is a dark curse

Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Karadzic is a dark curse’ – SENSE interview with the High Representative Paddy Ashdown. “RS undermines international-legal foundations which its existence is based on and it also prevents the country from accession to PfP, but it still cannot significantly jeopardise bringing BiH closer to European integration,” said Ashdown. 

Economic/social affairs

PDHR Hays with journalists

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 Hays: Public debts in BiH reached 27 billion KM’, Oslobodjenje pg 10, mentioned on cover ‘The laws will bring directors to jail’ – Public debt in BiH reached 27 billion KM although the estimations at the beginning of the process to resolve this issues were that it amounts approximately 11 billion KM, said Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays at a meeting with journalists in Sarajevo on Monday. In order for this problem to be resolved the appropriate draft laws are already on the tables of BiH Council of Ministers, Entity’s Governments and Brcko District Administration. The OHR has also planned a public campaign to explain this issue to the citizens.  

Ministers respond to Hays

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Vrankic and Zigic will realize their obligations’, mentioned on cover ‘Ministers respond to Hays’ – FBiH Finance Minister Dragan Vrankic and Industry Minister Izet Zigic commented in the statements for the daily on PDHR Hays’ criticism against delay in passing certain laws that were their competence. Vrankic said he was surprised with OHR position since they were fully informed about all the activities related to drafting the law on public funds investment. According to Vrankic it is in no one’s interests to adopt poor or inapplicable regulation. Zigic said that the Government had already sent into the parliamentary procedure the draft law on public enterprises. BiH Justice Minister Slobodan Kovac emphasized that the draft law on registration of companies had passed through necessary procedure and it had been sent to the parliament for further consideration and adoption. 

Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Law on audit sent to the Parliament long time ago’ – BiH Treasury Minister Ljerka Maric met with the PDHR Hays on Monday. She was not available for comment but Bojan Zec Filipovic, advisor in the office of BiH CoM Chair Adnan Terzic, said for the daily that the draft law on audit and accountancy had been sent to the parliament a long time ago.

Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Laws in Parliament’ – NN carries a comment following most recent statement by Donald Hays, PDHR, who was critical of some officials in BiH over the failure to adopt the Law on public companies.

Nedzad Brankovic, Minister of Traffic and Communication in F BiH, said that: “The draft Law on public companies was discussed at Government session and following adoption of amendments, forwarded as Law on management of economic sector with majority state capital in F BiH.”

He said: “OHR falsely wrote the name of this law. This is a framework agreement on registration of juristic subjects, and not the registration of companies. This Law was adopted in April.”

Domestic experts on public companies’ operations

BHTV – Sunday’s report on losses of BiH Public Enterprises caused reactions by domestic experts. They claim that the aim of this report is to ruin credibility of the most important State’s enterprises, in order to privatise them at lower prices. According to BiH experts, no one denies recommendation of the PDHR Donald Hays by which 5 crucial laws have to be passed in urgent parliamentary procedure, but they believe that pointing out at great losses of BiH Public Enterprises by International Community, presents ground for foreigners to become owners of, for example,  Telecoms, at low prices. “Losses cannot be justified by failures in concept which had been used in the process of privatisation, which Donald Hays is responsible for as well. His main problem is the fact that for the first time the domestic intelligence opposed him” said Slavo Kukic, professor on Faculty of Economy in Mostar. 

NN editorial on public companies

Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Theft at public companies’ by Almedin Sisic – The author is writing about the most recent presentation of Donald Hays, PDHR, who said that 92% of the interviews, the citizens of BiH, are of the view that the thieves run public companies and these officials need to be replaced. The author claims that the citizens of BiH are eager to see whether and when somebody would be held responsible for the loss of BAM 360 million, as established in audit reports for some companies in 2001. The author is also claiming that the judiciary and OHR, the ones who could put an end to these malversations of individuals, that cost BiH much, are not doing much.

‘Statement of Day’: PDHR Donald Hays

Dnevni List pg 2 carries in its ‘Statement of Day’, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, as saying: ‘Public companies must be returned to citizens.’

FBiH Parliament postpones payment of internal debts

Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Vrankic: Old foreign currency savings will not be written off’, by E. Mackic – The House of Peoples of the FBiH Parliament adopted changes and amendments to the Law on temporary postponement of execution of claims on basis of executive decision, which would affect the FBiH budget. The MPs in the HoP adopted the changes, which were insisted on by the FBiH Government, because failure to adopt the changes would put the macroeconomic stability and fiscal sustainability of the FBiH in jeopardy. According to the FBiH Finance Minister, Dragan Vrankic, the previous moratorium on payment on internal debts that expired on May 31 had to be extended. “The moratorium will be in force until there is a law which solves all ways of payment of internal claims”, said Vrankic, explaining that the law in question would not write off the old foreign currency savings. Svetozar Pudaric, an SDP MP, who was against the moratorium, says it is a rare case that a debtor has the ability to postpone its obligations.

Freedom House annual report point at corruption in BiH

Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘Corruption is an obstacle to Rule of Law in BiH’ – The annual report of “Freedom House”, the USA non-governmental organisation, reads that the corruption in judiciary, police forces and civil services is an important obstacle to the establishment of Rule of Law in BiH.

The report reads: “BiH has four times more judges than Germany (that has the largest number of judges in Europe). However, BiH judges resolve only 25% of cases on an annual basis. The international officials claim there is certain misbalance between basic elements of the Rule of Law.”

The trafficking in women has been included into the report as one of main problems, with which post-war BiH is faced.

Report further emphasises efforts placed by UN Mission on improving border control and hence the number of illegal entries into the state.

Commenting on independent electronic and print media, the report states that the media depend on foreign investments in order to survive.

NN: Tihic and Covic irrationally spent budget resources

Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 2 ‘Tihic and Covic irrationally spent budget resources’ – NN learnt from a service at the BiH Presidency that although deadline expires in two days, by which BiH Presidency should provide response upon audit report on expenditures of BiH Presidency budget resources, the response has not been prepared as yet. Ranko Ninkovic, Secretary General of BiH Presidency, said response is under preparation.

NN source at BiH Presidency claims that the audit report is especially unacceptable for Croat and Bosniak members of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic and Sulejman Tihic.

Farmers to distribute products in sign of protest

Blic, pg. RS2 ‘Farmers: we will distribute pigs and chicken for free’ by SRNA, Vecernje novosti, pg. 21 ‘They are protesting and distributing’ by N. G. – RS Association of Farmers and BiH Association of Poultry Farmers has announced a public protest that will be held in front of the RS Government building in Banja Luka at 11:00 hrs on June 3 because ‘RS Government and delegates at the BiH Parliamentary Assembly have created an issue regarding the enactment of good measures for agricultural production’. The two Associations have issued a press release on this occasion saying that they will distribute pigs and chicken for free to pensioners, whom they have invited to join the protest.

Update to oil field in BiH

Nezavisne Novine pg 8 ‘Energoinvest” cannot prevent the oil boring in RS’ – Commenting on yesterdays’ media reports in F BiH, the officials of the company Oil Refinery in Serb Brod claim that the Serb Brod Oil Refinery possesses all necessary documentation to implement the project on exploitation of 50 million tons of oil, which can be found at the depth of 2 km in Posavina region.

Mika Sukurma, Refinery expert, said that: “Energoinvest wants to cooperate with us and their officials did not tell us they would not give us final document. Still, if we do not get it from them, we will ask for a copy from “Amoc”, the American company that carried out the research.” Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘There are a few oil fields in BiH worth to be commercially exploited’ also covered the issue.

Political developments/education

British Inter-Parliamentary Union delegation visits BiH

Herceg Bosna Radio, BHTV, Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Stable state way to European integration’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘HR powers should be transferred to the state institutions’, Slobodna Dalmacija last pg ‘BiH to Europe independently, without tutors’ by F and Dnevni List pg 6 ‘By reduction of HR’s role to stabile and self-sustainable state’ by Nina, FENA – Reducing the role of the High Representative, i.e. transferring his powers to the BiH institutions, is one of the basic conditions for a stabile, self-sustainable state and its road towards Euro-Atlantic structures, it was concluded at a meeting between the British Inter-parliamentary delegation and leaders of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly delegation to the Inter-parliamentary Union in Sarajevo on Monday. “In order for BiH to continue moving towards Europe all sides need to equally cooperate with the ICTY, and the arrest of indicted war criminals should not hold back its admission to European structures”, the British guests stressed. During the first day of their visit the British delegation also held talks with members of the BiH House of Representatives and House of Peoples Collegia. BiH House of Representatives Speaker Martin Raguz informed his guests about the functioning of the BiH parliament, current situation and reforms in BiH. His Deputy Sefik Dzaferovic urged the guests to use their influence and lobby for BiH admission to the Partnership for Peace and the NATO Summit in Istanbul. He said that the state should not be held hostage by any one’s non-cooperation with the ICTY and that those opposing it should be sanctioned. House of Peoples Deputy Speaker Mustafa Pamuk said that BiH is the only country in the broader region that does not have its program on the BBC World Service and he therefore requested support and financial assistance for its establishment.

HDZ, OHR, OSCE talk about harmonization of cantonal education laws

Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Positive solution from current situation at sight?!’, by Miso Relota – DL learns from sources close to the HDZ BiH that representatives of the party, namely the party President Barisa Colak, President of Canton 7 HDZ, Josip Merdzo, President of Canton 6 HDZ, Anto Spajic, and (Croat) cantonal ministers of education, yesterday had a meeting with representatives of the OHR and OSCE to discuss issues pertaining to harmonization of cantonal education laws to State Framework law on education. Reportedly, it was a constructive meeting at which both sides presented their positions. Apparently, the OHR and OSCE requested that the cantonal laws be harmonized to the State Framework law, whilst representatives of the HDZ and education ministers insisted the already adopted laws had already been harmonized. According to DL, both sides agreed to make new explanations and the correspondence is to resume today.

VL on Canton 8 education laws

Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Official language is Croatian, pupils can use their language’, by Ivan Kaleb – the author notes that in a few days time, the Official Gazette of the West-Herzegovina Canton will publish the cantonal education laws on primary and secondary education as adopted by the WHC Assembly on April 30, 2004. VL goes on to say that the most problematic issue is the issue of language. The laws apparently say the lectures are to be in the Croatian language and in Latin letters pursuant to the needs of pupils, and in case that there are at least 20 pupils, who are from line of other constituent people, the school will provide studies of national group of subjects in the mother tongue. The laws among other things also say that every teacher must use the language as prescribed in by the law. It has been specially stressed that must not be any discrimination of pupils.

HDZ Main Board to meet on Friday

Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Sanctions against Bacak, Tokic, Masatovic, Matic and the rest!?’, by Miso Relota – the daily learns from the HDZ BiH that the HDZ Main Board will be in session on June 4 at Bugojno, and prior to that the HDZ Presidency will meet on June 3 at Sarajevo. Apparently, the Main Board will discuss issues pertaining to future activities of the party, education reform and pre-election strategy. DL notes it is certain that the Main Board will also discuss issues pertaining to problems in Canton 10 HDZ and the recent crisis in the HDZ City Board in Mostar. On top of that, DL notes that the speculations in the public say that some members of the HDZ, who have transgressed against the party Statute, will be expelled from the party. Apparently, the persons in question are Ivan Bacak, Marko Tokic, Stefo Masatovic, Zeljko Matic, Jadran Topic and other people who were on lists of other parties in elections for the Croatian parliamentary elections.

Security/investigations/incidents

OHR confirms OSA starts operating today

Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘OSA to start operating today’ – Oleg Milisic, OHR Spokesperson, yesterday stated that the Intelligence and Security Agency will start operating today (1^st June). He said: “The issue of establishment of OSA should be resolved by recently appointed Director and Deputy Director of OSA. BiH OSA will start operating on 1^st June, as previously announced.”

Dnevni Avaz on BiH intelligence sector

Dnevni Avaz cover page ‘Intelligence officers on new checking’, pg 2 ‘FOSS and OBS do not exist as of today’ – According to the daily, as of today the Federation Intelligence-Security Service (FOSS) and RS Intelligence-Security Service (OBS) do not officially exist. This is foreseen by the BiH Law on the Intelligence-Security Agency coming into force today. This also means that the professional engagement of the current FOSS and OBS intelligence officers ceases as well and they are supposed to automatically start working for OSA (newly-established state agency). However, according to Hazim Felic, the member of the parliamentary commission for supervising the intelligence sector, it is still uncertain will all the current FOSS and OBS employees be hired by OSA and how many of them might lose jobs.   

Oslobodjenje: Ivan Cosic nominated for the OSA Chief Inspector

Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Ivan Cosic nominated for the OSA Chief Inspector’ –  Ivan Cosic, the current general secretary of CoM, has been nominated for the OSA Chief Inspector, lerns the daily. He has been proposed by Barisa Colak, the BiH Security Minister, and than officially nominated by CoM Chair Adnan Terzic. Cosic is to yet pass to OHR vetting procedure.

SD on ‘Hercegovacka Bank’ case

Slobodna Dalmacija, front and pg 13 ‘Investigations to be extended on Lovric and Covic?’, by Zlatko Tulic – speaking about the bills of indictment issued against Ante Jelavic and the rest in the ‘Hercegovacka bank’ case, the author says the indictment written by Prosecutor, John McNair, in whose expertise the author doubts pretty much, is nothing but carbon copy of a report prepared by the Provisional Administrator for ‘Hercegovacka bank’, Toby Robinson, which blamed Jelavic and the rest for every suspicious transaction the bank had made. Talking about McNair’s (lack of) expertise, the author wonders “what kind of a legal expert is McNair, so he comes to BiH to remedy the situation in the BiH judiciary with help of the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, and on top of that, are the domestic judges and prosecutors only marionettes run by the High Representative?”. SD also says that one could hear lately that the investigation will be extended on six new people, including the first manager of the ‘Hercegovacka bank’, Velimir Lovric, noting that it remains to be seen whether the investigation will include the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic.

Hypo Alpe Adria Bank clerks charged with money laundering

Nezavisne Novine pg 6 ‘Hypo Alpe Adria Bank clerks charged with money laundering’ – The BiH State Prosecutor’s Office yesterday filed indictment against four clerks of the former Kristal Banka, on grounded suspicion that they assisted Zeljko Manojlovic to launder the amount of BAM 18 million in 20 days time in 2003 for 150 firms from BiH. Jasmina Gafic, BIH State Prosecutor, filed charges against Vaso Topic, Zorica Brankovic, Dijana Ignjic and Drago Stojanovic (all from Laktasi).

According to NN inset, Zeljko Manojlovic has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment in March this year. He admitted during the trial that he paid 0.25% of the sum to be laundered to these clerks, who split the money.

SD: Insulting posters appeared in Stolac

Slobodna Dalmacija pg 14 ‘Posters with insults for Bishop Peric’, mentioned on cover, by I. Raguz – SD carries that posters with insulting contents for Croats and Catholics of Stolac appeared yesterday morning all over this town. According to SD, members of the ‘Forum’ Youth Association distributed these posters signed by the President of this Association, Nerin Dizdar. SD also says that, first of all, insulting contents of the posters are directed against Bishop Ratko Peric, the Head of the Stolac Municipality Zeljko Obradovic, local priest don Rajko Markovic etc. SD says that due to these posters and some other events, the situation is Stolac is calm but very tense.

‘Authority must protect “Patriot” editor-in-chief’

Nezavisne Novine pg 5 ‘Authority must protect “Patriot” editor-in-chief’ – The Coordination of Press Associations of BiH and Free Media Help Line demand from RS authorities to protect editor-in-chief of “Patriot” magazine, Slobodan Vaskovic, and his family, because of serious threats addressed to him.

The Coordination and FMHL emphasised it is inadmissible that RS authorities, especially Ministry of Internal Affairs ignore such sort of pressure against media and journalists, who have critical approach towards the work of Government or state institutions.