SARAJEVO, Oct 22 (Hina) - The replaced director of the Bosnian Federation's intelligence service (FOSS), Munir Alibabic, on Tuesday dismissed claims that he had allowed documents at his disposal to reach the media and be used for
political showdowns, which was the reason why the High Representative to Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown, removed him from office on Monday.
SARAJEVO, Oct 22 (Hina) - The replaced director of the Bosnian
Federation's intelligence service (FOSS), Munir Alibabic, on
Tuesday dismissed claims that he had allowed documents at his
disposal to reach the media and be used for political showdowns,
which was the reason why the High Representative to Bosnia, Paddy
Ashdown, removed him from office on Monday. #L#
Alibabic explains in a press release that the only true fact is that
one intelligence service document actually made its way to a
weekly, "Ljiljan", but he claims the file, forwarded only to legal
users, was stolen.
The document is a FOSS report citing the names of some 40 former
senior Bosniak officials who are suspected of having embezzled war-
time donations intended for the defence of Bosnia.
The former FOSS director states that he was removed from office for
political reasons, that is, because the Office of the High
Representative (OHR) has been attempting "to turn people involved
with organised crime, war crimes and terrorism into moderate
democrats who will lead Bosnia towards division and isolation".
Alibabic also criticised the OHR for downplaying the problem of war
crimes, organised crime, and Bosnia's lawsuit against Yugoslavia.
He notes that he opposed attempts by circles close to Ashdown to
make Bosnia their own "intelligence colony".
(hina) lml sb