OHR: Ball in prosecution's court

The prosecutor will decide what action to take on the Bosnian Investigation and Protection Agency’s (SIPA) report on the RS PM, says Acting IHR Raffi Gregorian. Gregorian said that a high-profile investigation had been under way since 2007 and that it was question of the course of proceedings whether the SIPA director had seen and initialed the report or not, and how it had been dispatched to the Bosnian Prosecutor’s Office. OHR: Ball in prosecution's court “But, no-one can claim to be surprised by the fact that the report is complete. I want to stress that no accusations have been made. The prosecutor can only now analyze the SIPA report and decide on what next,” the acting international high representative (IHR) told daily Dnevni Avaz. He added that it was the international community’s role to ensure that proceedings were conducted in line with the law. Gregorian said that he was not familiar with the contents of the report and that they did not interest him. “What is my job is to ensure that everyone adheres to the law, and that applies to elected officials too. Dodik’s not the only one who is under investigation. We all know that Federation Prime Minister Nedzad Brankovic and some members of his government are under investigation too. Certain members of the Bosnian Council of Ministers are also being investigated,” said the acting IHR. He stressed that the Peace Implementation Council (PIK) had voiced its concern over not only Dodik’s conduct, but also that of other Bosnian politicians. “The PIK highlighted what was unacceptable and what cannot and will not be tolerated. The international community continues to have authority in its hands, and I would expect it to exercise it should something happen,” said Gregorian. Responding to Dodik’s statement that the Serbs would never return if they left the joint institutions, he said that that would be a very serious step and that he hoped that no-one would be so stupid as to take it. “Anyone who talks about a union of independent states in Bosnia-Hercegovina or moves towards creating independent states and dissolving the country has to know that that would mean transcending Dayton and the guarantees it offers,” the acting IHR warned. He said that he had met with people from the UN and the new U.S. administration, and that both parties were aware of the situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina. “They’re interested and concerned, and I have no doubt that certain countries are ready and determined to act if anything undesired or unacceptable occurs, and I was informed of this during the talks,” said Gregorian. He said that he was staying in Bosnia-Hercegovina and that he was focused on his duties at the Office of the High Representative. "I’m not going anywhere. I’m focused on my duties and I won’t leave until the job’s done,” Gregorian underlined.

OHR: Ball in prosecution's court

“But, no-one can claim to be surprised by the fact that the report is complete. I want to stress that no accusations have been made. The prosecutor can only now analyze the SIPA report and decide on what next,” the acting international high representative (IHR) told daily Dnevni Avaz.

He added that it was the international community’s role to ensure that proceedings were conducted in line with the law.

Gregorian said that he was not familiar with the contents of the report and that they did not interest him.

“What is my job is to ensure that everyone adheres to the law, and that applies to elected officials too. Dodik’s not the only one who is under investigation. We all know that Federation Prime Minister Nedžad Branković and some members of his government are under investigation too. Certain members of the Bosnian Council of Ministers are also being investigated,” said the acting IHR.

He stressed that the Peace Implementation Council (PIK) had voiced its concern over not only Dodik’s conduct, but also that of other Bosnian politicians.

“The PIK highlighted what was unacceptable and what cannot and will not be tolerated. The international community continues to have authority in its hands, and I would expect it to exercise it should something happen,” said Gregorian.

Responding to Dodik’s statement that the Serbs would never return if they left the joint institutions, he said that that would be a very serious step and that he hoped that no-one would be so stupid as to take it.

“Anyone who talks about a union of independent states in Bosnia-Hercegovina or moves towards creating independent states and dissolving the country has to know that that would mean transcending Dayton and the guarantees it offers,” the acting IHR warned.

He said that he had met with people from the UN and the new U.S. administration, and that both parties were aware of the situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

“They’re interested and concerned, and I have no doubt that certain countries are ready and determined to act if anything undesired or unacceptable occurs, and I was informed of this during the talks,” said Gregorian.

He said that he was staying in Bosnia-Hercegovina and that he was focused on his duties at the Office of the High Representative.

"I’m not going anywhere. I’m focused on my duties and I won’t leave until the job’s done,” Gregorian underlined.