Questions and Answers on Brcko District Prosecutor’s Request to the Brcko District Assembly Addressed to and Answered by Ambassador Henry L. Clarke
Because the discussion held at yesterday’s regular OHR North press conference in Brcko was incorrectly reported in the press today, we are hereby providing you with the exact transcript of the questions and answers on the subject of the Brcko District Prosecutor’s request to the Brcko District Assembly for lifting several councilors’ immunity for the purpose of starting the investigation process:
Question: I would like to ask Supervisor to comment on the request which was forwarded by the Prosecutor of Brcko District to the Assembly of the Brcko District regarding lifting of the immunity of Mr. Djapo and several councilors for, as the Prosecutor put it, malversations in Rahic Brcko municipality?
Answer: Well, as you know in Brcko we have an independent judiciary and that includes an independent prosecutor. It’s his job to pursue these questions once sufficient basis for suspicion has been found. But the request for lifting of immunity is merely a request to begin the process of investigation. And so nobody has been found guilty. And it is up to the Assembly with its established rules and procedures to handle this request.
Question: As an addition to the previous question – in case that the commission for election and appointments does lift the immunity from the mentioned individuals, does it mean that we will have the Assembly crisis and how are we going to overcome it?
Answer: I won’t speculate on that now.
Question: Mr. Supervisor, the people from the Assembly, against whom the investigation has been started, signed press release today in which they stated that some officials from the OHR and International Community especially ones from East European countries are bearing grudge against them and are behind all this.
Answer: I haven’t seen this release, and therefore I think it would not be proper for me to comment on it. It is my hope that this whole process will go forward in a expeditious manner, and that we will hopefully work through it without undo damage to the daily politics in Brcko District.
Question: Do you think that Mr. Djapo is going to be able to properly run and chair the Assembly if he is under the investigation.
Answer: There are rules in the Assembly of how he should act in this situation. I want to be careful and not interfere with that process.
For more information, please, contact OHR North Public Affairs officer Suzana Pejcic at 049-205-666 or 066 -133-526.