The Judicial Council of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina decides to extend the detention for another month of Ranko Debevac, the suspended President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Osman Mehmedagić, the former director of OSA.
Reasons – possible influence on witnesses and concealment of evidence. On the other hand, the defense demands rejection of the proposal because, they claim, it was not submitted within the legal deadline. At the hearing, new witnesses, but also very interesting details of the whole story.
So far known acts: abuse of position, falsification of official documents, wiretapping of judges and prosecutors – for which Ranko Debevec and Osman Mehmedagić are suspected require more time from the Prosecutor’s Office. Each examination of telephones and evidence brings new witnesses. The prosecution for Osman Mehmedagić, at the hearing, stated that he is well known to the judicial authorities for criminal activities, Denis Stojnić told as a witness that he had an honorary identification card from the OSA and that he set fire to vehicles and beat people on Mehmedagić’s order. However, due to new revelations, the Prosecutor’s Office is also requesting an extension of the investigation for the suspended President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In order to obtain property benefits, knowing that a large number of administrative disputes are pending before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in which Autosalon Kramar d.o.o. is the defendant in the proceedings. Ljubuški, and after representatives of the Autosalon Kramar company offered him a prize in the form of a passenger motor vehicle at a meeting in East Sarajevo in order to use his official and influential position in court cases before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ranko Debevec accepted the same and chose the vehicle himself . “After he met with the wanted Zdravko Mamić near Grude in the restaurant Konoba Dado, he accepted from Zdravko Mamić a reward in the form of a wristwatch worth over 15,000 euros in order to help him in extradition cases before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Bojana Jolović, the prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In addition to the above, the investigation is expanding according to the testimony of one of the employees of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but for her protection, because the investigation also relates to the Law on Gender Equality, that part was closed to the public.
The car that the prosecutor states in the papers belongs to Debevec’s relative, but Debevec and his defense claim that he was duly paid and that he did not benefit anyone. He says the same about the watch he got from Zdravko Mamić through an intermediary. Nevertheless, Mamić allegedly said that during that period he knew that it was good to have the President of the Court on his side.
While the defense claims that the meeting in Grude was not arranged and that it was a chance encounter, the Prosecution makes another discovery. Most of Debevac’s official trips and orders are marked as confidential and they do not yet have information about them. Debevec explains this with concern for safety, because he had only one driver due to savings, while his colleagues used 5-6 escort vehicles.
The Prosecution also revealed that Debevec was in the house of convicted criminal Đorđe Ždrale. And the defense and Debevec say that he did not hold a meeting there, attended by lawyer and member of the HJPC Duška Bogojević, but that he came with his friend Muhamed Ajanović, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry in Sarajevo, to see the dogs, not knowing who he was going to. The Prosecutor’s Office is certainly asking for an extension of custody due to the questioning of witnesses and possible obstruction of the investigation. However, the defense resents it.
“The prosecutor is obliged to submit a reasoned proposal for the extension of detention to the Court no later than five days before the expiration of the deadline from the decision on detention. In this case, this was not done, this deadline was not met. The prosecutor submitted the proposal on February 13, before the end of working hours,” said Mirna Avdibegović, Ranko Debevac’s lawyer.
Avdibegović also explains that there has been enough time so far, and is asking for dismissal or house arrest for his client. Nermin Mulalić, Osman Mehmedagić’s lawyer, is also asking for the same. He reasons that, when it comes to his client, there are no new items. Anyway, the motion was sent, the final decision at the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the investigation will continue three months after the duo’s arrest, with the possibility of discovering new names and evidence.
