SARAJEVO, June 17 (Hina) - Special departments for fighting organised crime and corruption should be established at the state court and the Prosecutor's Office in Bosnia-Herzegovina by the end of this year at the latest.
SARAJEVO, June 17 (Hina) - Special departments for fighting
organised crime and corruption should be established at the state
court and the Prosecutor's Office in Bosnia-Herzegovina by the end
of this year at the latest. #L#
High Representative Paddy Ashdown said in Sarajevo on Monday that
he would address the parliament on Wednesday, and present and
request the adoption of a bill on the establishment of a special
criminal department at the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina and on the
State Prosecution, which should include a separate department for
fighting organised crime.
Ashdown said he expected the parliament to adopt the law before the
summer break. The High Representative said he would adopt the law if
the parliament failed to do it by the end of July.
Organised crime and corruption represent a fundamental threat to
the stability of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the main obstacle to the
implementation of the Dayton agreement, Ashdown said.
Ashdown and his associates believe that the initiated reforms of
penal laws and laws on criminal procedure are important but
insufficient, given the influence of organised crime in the
country.
The organised crime department at the State Prosecutor's Office
would have the main role in combating organised crime. The
department would be headed by the deputy state prosecutor, who
would have special powers, as would his associates.
The penal department at the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which
should have at least five to ten judges, would deal exclusively with
organised crime.
According to unofficial sources, some judges' and prosecutors'
posts could be filled by foreigners.
Ashdown confirmed that the powers of the Court of Bosnia-
Herzegovina, which started functioning practically two weeks ago,
would also be extended to include war crimes trials.
The High Representative said he would discuss this issue with
representatives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia, who have just arrived in the country for a five-
day visit.
The Court would probably also include the office of a special war
crimes prosecutor, as well as special court police.
Ashdown said the only issue that remained to be solved was the
financing of the institutions. He said that a war crimes trial in
Bosnia would cost only one tenth of funds necessary for the same
trial in The Hague.
(hina) rml