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| Olympic games update | Stipe Mesic visited BIH | Stipe Mesic visited BIH | Olympic games update |
| Stipe Mesic visited BIH | Mikerevic meets Kostunica | Mikerevic meets Kostunica | Mikerevic meets Kostunica |
| Mikerevic meets Kostunica | 9/11 victims identification | Terzic visits | Stipe Mesic visited BIH |
| Colak on terrorists in BiH | Elections in | “Hotel Ero” case | Audit of Bijeljina Municipal. |
Oslobodjenje | Ramiz Delalic Celo arrested; War commander oversees exhmations |
| Dnevni Avaz | 4 million KM laundered through Celik!; Ramiz Delalic Celo arrested; Together we can do more |
| Dnevni List | Croatian President Mesic visited BiH yesterday: Pupils from |
| Vecernji List | Stjepan Mesic visited Brcko and Gradacac: Together in |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Features |
Nezavisne Novine | Croatian President visited Gradacac and Brcko: Issue of returns will be resolved by the time of EU admission; Two centuries of Serb Rebellion the First marked in Visegrad: Monument to Duke of Karadjordje unveiled; Investigation into business dealings of Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo: Mikerevic gave BAM 1.5 million from Housing Fund to Mandic as a gift |
| Glas Srpske | Two centuries of Serb Rebellion the First marked in Visegrad: Duke’s flag of freedom; Special supplement: Names of all candidates at local elections of 2004 |
| EuroBlic | Update to “Sugar affair”: A bitter life after sugar affair; Monastery Dobrun: To Europe on Serb foundations |
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| Political issues |
| Croatian President Mesic visits Brcko
| RHB, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘We don’t want walls’, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘We should not be burdened by past’ by E. Razanica, Slobodna Dalamcija pg 3 ‘Croatia wants BiH in fornt of EU door’ by H, Dnevni List front and pg 2 ‘Pupils from Croatia will get education in Brcko’ by T. Bijelic, Vecernji List front pg ‘Together in Europe’ and pg 2 ‘To strengthen relations between BiH and Croatia’ not signed –Croatian President Stipe Mesic visited Brcko District and Gradacac municipality on Sunday. During the day-long visit to BiH, Mesic held a working meeting with a delegation of the Brcko District, Mayor Branko Damjanac, his deputy Ivan Krndelj and the chairman of the provisional assembly, Mirsad Djapo. Later on Mesic met the international supervisor of Brcko, Susan Johnson. While in Brcko, Mesic said tat FTV – Stipe Mesic: “Our strategic goal is to enter EU integrations, but above all, we are interested in adoption of European standards… As far as BHT 1 – At the meeting with Brcko officials it was stressed that the District expects larger direct investments from RTRS – During his visit to Brcko, President Mesic said that Serb national question and issue of private property in |
| Mesic meets Tihic in Gradacac
| BHT 1, RHB, RTRS, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Partners for business, and not for trade of borders’ by Vehid Jahic, Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘BiH and Croatia can do much more together’, mentioned on cover ‘Together we can do more’ by E. Huremovic – Croatian President Stipe Mesic also visited the International Plum Fair held in Gradacac, where his host was Chairman of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic who said Mesic’s visit was an indicator of the support from Croatia. FTV – While in Gradacac Mesic emphasized the importance of economic cooperation in order to achieve better presentation at foreign markets. He said that BIH and |
| Mikerevic meets Kostunica during Dobrun celebrations
| RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Meeting Kostunica-Mikerevic’, Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Monument to duke Karadjordje revealed’, Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Better cooperation between RS and Serbia’ by NINA, Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 4 ‘Monument to Duke of Karadjordje unveiled’ by V.I.; Glas Srpske cover page story ‘Duke’s flag of freedom’ by E.G.S., pg 3 ‘Freedom came from Orasac’, Nezavisne Novine pg 4 inset ‘Meeting Kostunica-Mikerevic’, Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Tighter ties’, EuroBlic cover and RSpgs 2-3 ‘On foundation of Serb pat into European future’ by Marija Jandric & Nedeljka Breberina; Vecernje Novosti cover and pg 4 ‘Foundation for all Serbs’ by R. Andric – RS Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic said on Sunday in Dobrun after talks with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica that it was necessary to step up efforts in the realization of the agreement on special relations between the RS and Serbia, and particularly with regard to economy. Mikerevic said that a meeting between the BHT 1 – Over 15.000 people were present at the ceremony. Vojislav Kostunica said that Dobrun was selected to be a place of ceremony due to its contribution to the Uprising, even thought has started in FTV – Kostunica said that the Celebration at Dobrun is a sign of good cultural collaboration between RS and RTRS – Dragan Mikerevic said that borders alike the one near Dobrun can only connect people: “Dilemma, that could have been raised lately why we in BiH celebrate a historic event from another state does not exist for us. Those are false dilemmas, used by those who permanently want to tear apart the core of Serb people.” |
| Cavic on Republika Srpska
| RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Monument to duke Karadjordje revealed’ by Fena – At the ceremony of marking the First Serb Uprising, RS President Dragan Cavic addressed the participants and said that this is a celebration for all those Serb people whose desire to restore their State wasn’t extinguished during five centuries of Turkish dominion: “RS continually stresses that it is possible to build functionality of BiH and at the same time to preserve the necessary balance of vital interests of constituent peoples and of entities. BiH can survive only with this balance and every attempt of its abolishment will turn into rule of majority with tragic consequences for BiH and its future,” said Cavic. Glas Srpske pg 3 ‘Oath of entirely alive ancestors’ – Dragan Cavic, RS President, stated: “BiH without RS cannot exist and only as such it can survive. Any attempt to abolish such an order would turn into majorisation with tragic consequences.” |
| Media, Tihic comment to SCG official’s visit to BiH
| BHT 1 – BHT 1 commented that two highest ranking officials – Croatian President Stipe Mesic and Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica – visited BiH on Sunday pointing out that they visited different parts of BiH for different occasions and they have met with different BiH officials [Note: Kostunica was presented at the celebration of the First Serb Upraise.] BHT 1 – Sulejman Tihic evaluated the visit of Serbian officials: “I hope that on for the next [International Plum] Fair, the highest officials of the neighboring State will be present here in Gradacac and not like today, when we had the opportunity to see and hear them on one other manifestation which doesn’t present the support to BiH.” FTV – Tihic added he was disappointed that Serbian officials did not visit the fair, where a number of companies from SCG were present. He stressed that their presence for the celebration of the First Serb Uprising show lack of support for BIH sovereignty and integrity. |
| Colak on meeting btw HDZ BiH and HDZ Croatia, constitutional changes, etc.
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘We are expecting Sanader’s support for RTV and defenders’, mentioned on cover ‘We shall demand from Sanader today support for TV channel’ by Z. Kresic – In an interview given to VL, HDZ President Barisa Colak announces topics which will be discussed at the meeting between the HDZ BiH delegation and HDZ Croatia in Zagreb today. According to Colak, many issues such as protection of Croatian investments in BiH, demands for the establishment of the RTV channel in Croatian language, opening of the Croatian State Archive in order to find wartime documents of the Croat Community of Herceg Bosna will be raised. Asked whether it is possible that 3 constituent peoples reach an agreement when constitutional changes in BiH are in question, Colak says that the support of the International Community is necessary at this phase. According to Colak, the constitutional changes will be necessary in BiH next year and he is expecting them since he believes that BiH cannot progress towards |
| RTRS says auditors find irregularities in work of Bijeljina municipality
| RTRS – Even though the audit reports on work of municipal administrations will be published on 2 September, RTRS unofficially finds out that Chief Auditor has discovered many irregularities in the work of Bijeljina municipality. Spending of financial means from the Budget by recently removed [by the High Rep] head of Municipality Dragomir Ljubojevic has become the main topic of discussions among politicians and citizens of Bijeljina. Deputy in RS National Assembly, Milan Lazic, said that Auditor has detected many irregularities in procedures of public tenders and in employing friends and SDS people in the Municipality. Report gives details of a number of frauds suspected to be carried out by Ljubojevic, and company PG Peric. |
| Mahmutcehajic accuses SDA and HDZ for situation in Stolac | Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘SDA is actually legitimatising existing situation in Stolac’, mentioned on cover, by Asaf Becirovic – Following accusations by Zeljko Obradovic, Chief of Stolac Municipality, that leader of international forum Bosna, Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, is responsible for current situation in Stolac, author notes that unofficially SDA is not far away from such claims either. Mahmutcehajic says for Oslobodjenje that he would help Youth Forum in Stolac as much as he can in removing injustices in Stolac: “Existing authorities in Stolac – collation of HDZ and SDA – want to show that the current situation is good… Herceg Bosna flags are just a top of an iceberg, a top of unsolved problems in Stolac.” |
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| War crimes |
| FBiH Commission for Missing Persons to cease exhumations in Kazani?
| FTV – FBiH Commission for Missing Persons could not find location of a mass grave in Kazani near Srebrenica, which was identified in the report by Srebrenica Commission. FBiH team demands to establish direct contact to information sources, believe that this information might be entirely wrong. Srebrenica Commission says that the information on Kazani comes from RS authorities and witnesses. FBiH Commission will try to find the mass grave again on Monday. Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Today we will search Kazani location’ by J.S. – Chief of the FBIH Commission for Missing Persons, Amor Masovic, confirms that the team will look at the Kazani locality for today, however if no bodies are found exhumations will cease. |
| Update to Marko Boskic case
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 5 ‘Boskic presented himself as a Croat in Boston’ by AP, Boston Globe – NN bring feature story on Marko Boskic, a former member of RS Army arrested in USA suspected of committing war crimes during the war in BiH. it also carries the inset ‘BiH Prosecution will request extradition if there is a Court order to do so’ by M. C. quoting Marinko Jurcevic, BiH Chief Prosecutor, as saying that the BiH Prosecution will ask from USA to extradite Marko Boskic if any of Courts in BiH has issued an order for his arrest. Oslobodjenje pg 5 ‘Boskic filmed in uniform with the gun’ by M. Kavaz-Sirucic – Oslobodjenje gives details from the article that was published by the Boston Globe, which reveals details of Boskic’s scam when applying for the residence visa in the USA. It also says that US authorities got a tape from the ICTY that showed Marko Boskic in uniform and with the gun. |
| Oslobodjenje says chief of Foca police involved in war crimes
| Oslobodjenje pgs 4-5 ‘Police commander from war time oversees exhumations’, mentioned on cover, by Edina Kamenica – “All misery of the current BiH reality… is proved through the case of Milomir Maslic, chief of Foca Police, whose name is linked with on-going exhumations in this part of BiH,” reads the beginning of the article which refers to the exhumations of bodies of Bosniak victims currently on going in Foca region. The article accuses Maslic – who is in charge of providing security at the exhumations – of being involved in executions of people being exhumed in either indirect or direct way. “It is not possible that this fact was not known to those who issued Malisa with the certificate for this responsible work in police,” reads the article. EUPM Spokesperson Killian Wahl stated for Oslobodjenje that certification process was entirely in the authority of UN, stressing that EUPM has not access to lists and personal files. “Even if we wanted to, we could not do anything,” Wahl said “through his agent”, to which journalist wonders on what base EUPM works at all. Article concludes that the fact that OHR |
| Mostar Cantonal Prosecution investigates individuals for Dretelj concentration camp case | Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Soon, indictments against Mijo Banovic, Ado Alagic, Vido Palameta and Ivan Ancic?’ by F. Vele – DA writes that Mostar Cantonal Prosecution is completing the investigation of several persons for their individual responsibility in war crimes committed in former Dretelj concentration camp. Deputy Cantonal Prosecutor, Sabina Beganovic, stated that soon indictments could be issued. He explained that a number of suspects have been questioned in the past days due to suspicion of committing the war crimes against civilians and following the approval from ICTY. These have been identified as Dretelj camp guards Mijo Banovic, Ado Alagic and Vido Palameta. In addition, Cantonal prosecutor carries out investigation against Ivan Ancic, commander of Dretelj concentration camp, for command responsibility. |
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| Economic and social issues |
| BiH delegation presents itself to Libyan businessmen
| FTV, RHB, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Meeting with Gadafi expected’ by Fena – Delegation of BIH politicians and businessmen lead by Chair of BIH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, visited |
| Gs int with Branko Krsmanovic
| Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Regulations on airing’ by D. Vrhovac – Mihajlovic – RS Minister of Finances and a member of the Steering Board of ITA, Branko Krsmanovic, says that collecting of public revenues in this year brought better results in comparison to the last year. He also commented on negotiations on a new stand-by arrangement with IMF and said: ‘During the negotiations on the new stand-by arrangement in the amount of 33 million KM we have sent our proposals, on which we still do not have a consent, to IMF. It is unacceptable to have a preparation for a unification of the Agency for Statistics as one of pre-requisites. We think a quality system of statistics can be achieved without a unified, single budget of the Agency’. He says that, despite to these differences in opinion, there is a high level of understanding and he believes negotiations on the new stand-by arrangement would successfully end. He also said that a new Law on Excises and Sales Taxes is being prepared at BiH level in order to put taxpayers in RS, Federation of BiH and Brcko District in the same position. |
| Reactions to VAT
| Dnevni List pg 7 ‘Opposition is strongly against Draft Law on VAT’, mentioned on cover, by M. Karacic and D. Pusic – DL carries negatives reactions of BOSS President Mirnes Ajanovic, representative in the Federation of BiH Parliament Ante Colak, representative in the FBiH House of Peoples Svetozar Pudaric etc. to Draft Law on Value Added Tax. The article also carries SDA Vice President Seada Palavric who comments on these reactions by saying that harsh reaction of the opposition is blanket labelling since the Law has just come in the parliamentary procedure and all sorts of amendments and objections to this Law are possible. In an inset under headline ‘VAT does not shut down freedom of media’ DL quotes spokesperson of the BiH Council of Ministers Bojan Zec Filipovic who says that the aforementioned Law is not based on the principle ‘take it or leave it’. Filipovic also judged as inappropriate commentaries which say that this Law is shutting down freedom of media. |
| DL on payment of overdue pensions | Dnevni list, pg 3, ‘Payment of overdue pensions left for next year’, by Ivica Glibusic – DL carries that the pensioners in FBiH have announced huge protest unless one more overdue pension is paid until the end of this year. Radovan Vignjevic, FBiH Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, says for DL that the budget for the current year foresees payment of one overdue pension and this has already been done. “As for other two pensions, the funds are not foreseen. It is only if there is a budget rebalance that the payment of those may be planned, yet the proposal would have to be approved by the Parliament”, Vignjevic says. |
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| Investigations and frauds speculations |
| FBiH Supreme Court to renew Hotel Ero case
| FTV – FBiH Supreme Court decided to renew the case of “Hotel Ero”. FTV speculates that certain number of high ranking FBiH officials could be arrested, in addition to Ivan Bender who already was sentenced to 4,5 years. Bender was found guilty for an illegal sale of Hotel Ero which allowed him to earn money in illegal way. Josip Muselimovic, lawyer for Ivan Bender, says that the Court has a authority to renew a process. According to a well-informed source of FTV, the court brought such decision due to the new evidences. |
| NN: ‘Mikerevic gave 1.5 milion KM to Mandic as a gift’
| Nezavisne Novine cover and pg 3 ‘Mikerevic gave BAM 1.5 million from Housing Fund to Mandic as a gift’ by A. Sisic – NN learnt from a senior official of the international community close to OHR and SFOR that Dragan Mikerevic, RS Prime Minister, in 2003 has de facto gave as a gift the amount of 1.5 million KM from RS Housing Fund to Privredna Banka Serb Sarajevo owned by Momcilo Mandic. The source claims Mikerevic did that in spite of “warning of Paddy Ashdown, High Representative to BiH, that the Bank is to face bankruptcy… The investigation is to establish why Premier gave this money coming from citizens to this bank, in spite of warnings.” The NN source further also claims that even following the action of HR is March 2003 called “Balkans evil”, “RS authorities have continued to place public deposits at this Bank in spite of public fact that Bank was not doing business well… This is all about a well-hidden criminal mechanism for Momcilo Mandic and his political friends aimed at stealing from RS Public Funds.” |
| McNair to interrogate Beslic on Hercegovacka Bank case
| Dnevni List pg 5 ‘Beslic’s loan amounting to 200 000 KM disputable’, mentioned on cover, ‘Loan amounting to 200 000 KM disputable’ by N. Dedic – Head of the Special Department for Organized Crime with the BiH Prosecution John McNair will question Mostar Deputy Mayor Ljubo Beslic today with regard to the Hercegovacka Banka case. A source close to the BiH Prosecution reveals that Beslic will be also questioned about circumstances under which he was granted with a loan amounting to 200 000 KM. The same source added that McNair does not suspect Beslic of illegal actions but he wants to question Beslic about some circumstances related to this case. DL also says that McNair talked on Friday with lawyers of the 4th suspect in the Hercegovacka Banka case fugitive Ivica Azinovic about his surrender. His lawyers, Davor Silic and Nada Dalipagic, stated that Azinovic is willing to appear at the hearing only if he was guaranteed that he would not be detained. |
| On Finvest
| Dnevni list, pg 6, ‘Finvest owner Marijan Filipovic excluded from investigation’, by Nermin Bise – Nedim Begic, Canton 10 Court President, has stated for DL that no investigation has been launched into Marijan Filipovic, the owner of Drvar-based Finvest Co., thus refuting allegations according to which Milorad Barasin, Canton 10 Chief Prosecutor, is interested in businessman Filipovic. As Barasin was not available for comment, Begic said that “in case investigation is launched against Filipovic, I am supposed to know about that“. Begic was also not in a position to confirm that last week Finvest workers protested in front of the company premises, adding he only heard that there was workers’ protest at the time when official documentation was expropriated. |
| ITA Director on sugar affair
| EuroBlic cover and RSpg1 ‘A bitter life after sugar affair’ by Nedeljka Breberina – In a statement to EuroBlic, Kemal Causevic, ITA Director, claims that “there isalready a reliable list of names of firms and individuals, who have been involved in the so called “sugar affair” and charges will soon be brought.” Bearing in mind the investigation is still ongoing, Causevic did not want to disclose any name nor further detail related to this case. According to inset “Affairs “potato and bananas” to follow’, Causevic said that the affairs of “banana and potato” could also fall over BiH, since information point these two products have been imported in BiH in large quantity. |
| Oslobodjenje int with TI Director Boris Divjak on corruption
| Oslobodjenje pg 9 ‘Two thousands of citizens reported corruption’, mentioned on cover, by S. Sehercehajic – In an interview to Oslobodjenje, Director of the Transparency International [TI] in BiH, Boris Divjak, says that over 2000 citizens used the hotline TI launched at the beginning of the year to report corruption cases. “Citizens mostly complain against administrative institutions. These are primarily inspection and public services such as hospitals, pensions and disability funds,… the situation is very bad in the field of labour law. Through process of privatisation, citizens are alone,” Divjak says whilst outlining the main concerns reported by the citizens. Asked is there cooperation between TI and local authorities, Divjak says that TI has established cooperation with the majority of entity ministers with jurisdiction over institutions citizens complain about. However, he adds that “the authorities are more ready on declarative cooperation.” |
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| Security and crime related issues |
| Police in Sarajevo arrests Ramiz Delalic Celo
| Oslobodjenje cover page story ‘Ramiz Delalic Celo arrested in Ilidza’ by R.I., Dnevni Avaz pg 24 ‘Ramiz Delalic Celo in detention again’, mentioned on cover ‘Ramiz Delalic Celo arrested’ – Ramiz Delalic Celo was arrested on Sunday evening in a bar in Sarajevo suburb Ilidza by Sarajevo Cantonal police. Celo was unsuccessfully looked for by the police for the past two years, as |
| SIPA, Brcko Police deny claims on terrorists from Brcko attacking
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3 ‘The police and SIPA deny the existence of terrorists in Brcko’ by M. Cubro – Upon the claims of Corriere della Serra that ten terrorist from Brcko have threatened to attack Vatican, Deputy Director of SIPA Dragan Lukac has stated that the Agency has no information on any terrorist activities in Brcko, noting that ‘I have read this story in newspapers and it all seems as very frivolous. Ten people have decided to go from Brcko to kill the Pope.I think this is very, very frivolous and I think this information was not verified and is incorrect’.” Brcko District Police Chief Milenko Milicevic yesterday said there are no terrorist training camps in Brcko District nor anyone from BiH has got anything to do with terrorism. He explained that the |
| VL on passports that went missing in Croatian Consulate in Mostar
| Vecernji list, pg 4, ‘3000 passports went missing from Consulate in Mostar’, mentioned on cover, by Zdenko Jurilj – VL learns from its confidential sources that the number of Croatian passports which by 1999 went missing from the premises of the Croatian Consulate in Mostar is not 930, as media have been briefed by Croatian authorities over the last couple of years, but the number ranges between 2500 and 3000. This number is said to be the result of the subsequent internal control that was conducted by investigative commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Croatian Ministry of Interior which was assisted by officials of the Consulate General in Mostar. VL’s source adds that, although passports were issued in consulates until 1999, after which all forms and blank passport books were to be returned, he personally saw those documents used even after 1999. |
| DA claims money laundered through Zenica football team
| Dnevni Avaz cover splash ‘ Four million KM laundered through Celik!’, pg 4 ‘Through Celik’s documents, 4 million KM laundered!’ b A. Dzonlic – DA says that Dutch state prosecution and Department for tax related investigations has asked relevant BiH authorities to assist them in investigation of about 4 million KM worth tax fraud which occurred in 1997. Article reads that this case involves the Zenica football team ‘Celik’, whose papers have been examined. The investigation focuses at alleged 4 million KM worth transfer of Dutch player Mihael Laudrup from Celik to [Dutch team] Ajaks. As this never happened, Dutch authorities believe that this is a case of money laundering. Both teams, as well as the player, deny allegations. |
| ITA expects parliaments to give opinions on draft Law on Excise | Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Respond of entity parliaments waited’ by V. Zivak – Oslobodjenje refers to the draft Law on Excise, saying that entity parliaments have not yet submitted their opinion on it and possible transfer of authorities in this matter from entities to state level. It is expected that this will be finalized by 7 September, when the board of Indirect Taxation Administration has a scheduled session. After the session, ITA expects to forward the draft Law to the Council of Ministers for adoption. ITA Director, Kemal Causevic, explained that in accordance with this draft, excise tax on cigarettes will be increased from current 35 to 40%, which would increase annual budget for 100 milion KM. |