BOSNIAN STATE COURT'S APPELLATE PANEL IN THE CASE OF DRAGAN COVIC AND OTHERS HELD HEARING

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (September 13,2007) – Hearing was held at the Bosnian State Court’s Appellate Panel in the case of Dragan Covic and others. Dragan Covic, the former Bosnian Presidency member and the current President of the HDZ BiH Party was found guilty of abuse of office or official authority and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. Others were acquitted.

In accordance with the procedure, the Appellate Panel’s decision will be passed and announced timely.

The procedure was initiated because of the alleged evasion of taxes in the management of the “Lijanovici” meat industry.

The first degree verdict acquitted the brothers Lijanovic, namely, Jozo, Jerko, Slavo and Mladen Ivankovic Lijanovic. They had been accused of organized crime, bribery and other forms of crime, as well as the misuse of authority in economy sector and forgery of documents and tax evasion.

The persons accused are also Mato Tadic, the former Bosnian Constitutional Court President and Zdravko Lucic, professor at the University of Sarajevo. They have been acquitted of charges for organized crime; Lucic has been acquitted of charges for abuse of authority.

Judge Davorin Jukic announced that the above verdict was appealed by the defense counsel for Dragan Covic and the Bosnian State Prosecutor’s Office.