"Not guilty. I refute all the allegations of the indictment," Covic said before pretrial hearing Judge Steven Swanson pleading to four of the indictment's 13 counts charging him with abuse of office, negligence, participation in the giving of gifts, conspiracy to commit crime, and organised crime.
At the end of the hearing Covic tried to speak about the proceedings, saying the case against him was politically motivated.
Judge Swanson interrupted him, reminding him that a pretrial hearing was not the place to make such assessments but only to enter a plea.
Tadic, Lucic, and brothers Jozo, Mladen, Jerko and Slavko also dismissed the allegations.
The indictment issued by the State Prosecutor's Office department for organised crime and corruption charges Covic with enabling the Lijanovici company to avoid paying customs dues on the import of meat, receiving in return a bribe amounting to one million convertible marks (500,000 euros), a Mercedes and a luxury apartment.
The Ivankovic-Lijanovic brothers are charged with document forgery, tax evasion and acquiring illegal gain. Judge Tadic is charged with abuse of office and receiving gifts, while professor Lucic is charged with giving gifts, conspiracy to commit a crime and participation in organised crime.
Until today it was believed that most of the 60-page indictment was based on the testimony of a protected witness, but the prosecution today revealed that it was based on the testimonies of five more protected witnesses. Prosecutor Jonathan Ratel reluctantly confirmed this only at Judge Swanson's insistence.
The defence was given until April 25 to complain about the indictment and only then will a trial date be set.
The international community's High Representative to Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown, yesterday sacked Covic from the post of Croat member in the state's three-men Presidency because of the indictment. Prior to the pretrial hearing today, Covic staged a farewell reception at the Presidency.
The state parliament's lower house is expected to decide on Covic's successor on April 12.