Today, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina requested from the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the suspended president of this court, Ranko Debevec, and the former director of the Intelligence and Security Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Osman Mehmedagić, be placed under house arrest with the measures of banning communication with witnesses and confiscation of travel documents.
Source: MONDO
Prosecutor Feđa Fejzagić said that the same measures are proposed for both defendants with the aim of ending the investigation.
According to him, house arrest means a ban on leaving the family home, and a ban on meeting and communicating with suspects and witnesses was also requested due to fear of the influence of Debevec and Mehmedagić on the witnesses.
Fejzagić said that the prohibition measures mean that suspects and witnesses are prohibited from approaching at a distance of 50 meters.
According to the Prosecution’s proposal, the suspects’ travel documents would be confiscated and new ones would be prevented from being issued.
At today’s hearing, the Prosecution did not present the names of the witnesses to whom the access and communication bans apply, but submitted the names of those persons to the defense and the court.
The prosecutor explained the proposed bans by saying that the suspects have a tendency to influence witnesses and conceal evidence, stating that Mehmedagić contacted certain witnesses in prison and asked for the concealment of evidence.
“The investigation has not yet been completed and there is a danger of influencing the witnesses and the collection of evidence,” pointed out Fejzagić.
Debevec’s defense lawyer Tatjana Savić said that the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not present anything new compared to the previous hearing.
“The prosecutor’s office has no way to extend detention, so it is asking for injunctive measures that are almost the same as detention, while no investigation has been carried out in a month, nor has it been stated what is planned to be carried out,” said Savić.
She said that there is no basis for the strictest banning measures and added that the defense agrees with the banning of meetings with suspects and witnesses.
Savić stated that Debevec had to move due to his own and his mother’s health reasons.
Mehmedagić’s lawyer, Nedim Mulalić, said that he agrees with everything presented by the defense of the first suspect and that his client also has to visit a doctor due to his health condition.
The lawyers of the suspects stated that the prohibition measures could refer to movement beyond the Sarajevo Canton, to which the prosecutor reacted, pointing out that 90 percent of the witnesses reside in the Sarajevo Canton area and that he is against easing any prohibition measures.
The Prosecution’s proposal for house arrest and injunction measures against Debevac and Mehmedagić, whose custody expires on March 15, arrived at the Court this morning at 11:10 a.m.
Judge Strika announced that he will make a decision on the Prosecution’s proposal tomorrow.
Ranko Debevec and Osman Mehmedagić have been in custody for three months, charged with abuse of position, destruction of evidence of illegal wiretapping, false representation and accepting bribes.
(Srna)