In Sarajevo, the head of Bosnia’s state court and the former head of the spy agency have been ordered to be held in custody for a month due to allegations of wiretapping of the court’s judges and investigators, according to a judge’s ruling on Thursday.
President of Bosnia-Herzegovina court, Ranko Debevec, and former head of the intelligence agency OSA/OBA, Osman Mehmedagic, were arrested on Monday for suspected abuse of office and other criminal acts.
Chief state prosecutor Milanko Kajganic has stated that the duo has been accused of agreeing to wiretap state court’s judges and prosecution investigators working on various cases in 2020.
The court said in a statement that the detention has been ordered until Jan. 18, unless a new ruling is issued, due to the risk of the duo destroying evidence or influencing witnesses.
The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council has suspended Debevec and appointed Judge Minka Kreho as his temporary replacement.
An earlier disciplinary investigation into Debevec’s behavior, which had been seen as damaging the reputation of his office, has been dismissed.
Mehmedagic was sanctioned by the United States for allegedly misusing the state-owned telecommunications company to benefit a political party and collaborating with criminal networks for personal and party enrichment.
The European Union, which Bosnia aspires to join, has outlined judiciary reform as the top priority for the Balkan country, citing political influence and corruption in that institution.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Richard Chang)
