Dodik launches tirade against prosecutor

Republic of Srpska (RS) Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has responded angrily to reports that he will be charged with embezzlement. He said that the rumored indictment was speculation against the RS and himself personally. Dodik launches tirade against prosecutor “You probably read that this was unidentified and unconfirmed information. The climate is being created for this, but it is not important for me what the Federal media writes, because it is clear that they are creating a climate against the RS and everything that is in the RS,” Dodik told Banja Luka journalists. He said that it was “some kind of pressure from the Bosnia-Herzegovina prosecution,” and called on the prosecution to indict him if there were grounds to do so. “Come on, indict me, lads, to see if it is that easy. Why is there only speculation and no investigation, why can’t we defend ourselves, but have to respond to the situation,” Dodik asked. Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz printed a story that the Bosnia-Herzegovina prosecution was planning to indict Dodik in late May or early June, along with 15 other people from the RS, based on a report from the Bosnian Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) regarding allegations of fraud to the tune of around EUR 70mn. The RS prime minister said that the situation was “a mess and an attack on him personally,” accusing the prosecutors and the state prosecution of being “poltroons that know nothing about justice, and are motivated by other motives, not justice and rights.” Dodik said that this situation had been going on over five months and that pre-investigation activities had only just started, accusing the prosecution of politicizing the issue at the behest of certain foreigners. “I’m not one of those jerks who are ready to obey, or to back down on certain political issues. I will be even more orthodox because of all of this, because I believe that this kind of country, with these institutions, is no use to anyone, and that the Bosnian prosecution cannot survive for long with these kinds of powers,” he stormed. Dodik added that the same scenario was being used against the former Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency Mirko Sarovic and the Croatian Democratic Union leader in Bosnia Dragan Covic, who spent six months in jail, only to be told three years later that they did not have jurisdiction for his case. “Covic is ready to accept this, I am not. I am not ready to accept any misuse of the institutions, because I do not misuse the RS government,” he said. He accused the prosecutors and prosecution of being “merchants who want to stay in Bosnia and keep their salaries of EUR 15-20,000,” and also blamed the Federal press for masterminding the attacks against him. “You can see that this was created in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation, and that is just proof that the Federation, along with the media and the political factor, cannot be seen as anything but an enemy in this way. We will respond accordingly,” Dodik warned. He said that the Bosnian Supreme Court and Prosecutor’s Council were “an imposed hybrid” that would indict him “only if someone from the OHR calls and tells them to do so.” Dodik added that the Constitutional Court was also corrupt, and that the judges made decisions as politicians, not legal officials.

Dodik launches tirade against prosecutor

“You probably read that this was unidentified and unconfirmed information. The climate is being created for this, but it is not important for me what the Federal media writes, because it is clear that they are creating a climate against the RS and everything that is in the RS,” Dodik told Banja Luka journalists.

He said that it was “some kind of pressure from the Bosnia-Herzegovina prosecution,” and called on the prosecution to indict him if there were grounds to do so.

“Come on, indict me, lads, to see if it is that easy. Why is there only speculation and no investigation, why can’t we defend ourselves, but have to respond to the situation,” Dodik asked.

Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz printed a story that the Bosnia-Herzegovina prosecution was planning to indict Dodik in late May or early June, along with 15 other people from the RS, based on a report from the Bosnian Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) regarding allegations of fraud to the tune of around EUR 70mn.

The RS prime minister said that the situation was “a mess and an attack on him personally,” accusing the prosecutors and the state prosecution of being “poltroons that know nothing about justice, and are motivated by other motives, not justice and rights.”

Dodik said that this situation had been going on over five months and that pre-investigation activities had only just started, accusing the prosecution of politicizing the issue at the behest of certain foreigners.

“I’m not one of those jerks who are ready to obey, or to back down on certain political issues. I will be even more orthodox because of all of this, because I believe that this kind of country, with these institutions, is no use to anyone, and that the Bosnian prosecution cannot survive for long with these kinds of powers,” he stormed.

Dodik added that the same scenario was being used against the former Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency Mirko Šarović and the Croatian Democratic Union leader in Bosnia Dragan Čović, who spent six months in jail, only to be told three years later that they did not have jurisdiction for his case.

“Čović is ready to accept this, I am not. I am not ready to accept any misuse of the institutions, because I do not misuse the RS government,” he said.

He accused the prosecutors and prosecution of being “merchants who want to stay in Bosnia and keep their salaries of EUR 15-20,000,” and also blamed the Federal press for masterminding the attacks against him.

“You can see that this was created in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation, and that is just proof that the Federation, along with the media and the political factor, cannot be seen as anything but an enemy in this way. We will respond accordingly,” Dodik warned.

He said that the Bosnian Supreme Court and Prosecutor’s Council were “an imposed hybrid” that would indict him “only if someone from the OHR calls and tells them to do so.”

Dodik added that the Constitutional Court was also corrupt, and that the judges made decisions as politicians, not legal officials.