ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - Financial assets used by the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina will remain frozen because the party has failed to provide credible evidence showing that it is operating legally and that it is not
helping war crimes suspects, High Representative Paddy Ashdown said at a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday.
ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - Financial assets used by the Serb Democratic
Party (SDS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina will remain frozen because the party
has failed to provide credible evidence showing that it is operating
legally and that it is not helping war crimes suspects, High
Representative Paddy Ashdown said at a press conference in Sarajevo on
Thursday.#L#
Ashdown said that auditors from his office had examined a financial
report submitted by the SDS on April 19 at the request of the
international community and that it had many holes that did not dispel
earlier doubts.
The leading Serb party is suspected of secretly using public funds to
which it is entitled as a parliamentary party for protecting war
criminals, most of all the party founder and Serb wartime leader
Radovan Karadzic, who is wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal on
genocide charges.
The report does not give a full picture of the SDS's finances, Ashdown
said, adding that the party was conducting most of its financial
transactions through local offices whose operations are very hard to
examine in full.
The high representative said there were still indications that the SDS
had financed illegal activities and criminal organisations, citing a
donation to the Chetnik Movement of Ravna Gora.
The movement, although legal in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is known for its
ultranationalist views, which is why it has been blacklisted by the
American government as a terrorist organisation.
Ashdown warned that the Ravna Gora Movement was known for its links to
criminals and war crimes indictees, adding that it was not ruled out
that this organisation had sent SDS funds to such individuals.
The high representative said he had instructed a special auditor
working within the OSCE mission to examine the SDS's financial
activities.
Ashdown said he would not punish any SDS officials for the time being,
but said this possibility was not ruled out if the findings of the
audit confirmed the suspicions that the party continued financing
Karadzic and other war crimes suspects or criminals.
(Hina) vm