SILAJDZIC: SERBIA IS IN VIOLATION OF DAYTON

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – The co-operation protocol signed recently by Serbia and the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia "the RS" is one argument more in favour of the Office of the International High Representative (OHR) staying in Bosnia and using its Bonn powers.In a comment on the protocol, a member of the Bosnian Presidency Dr Haris Silajdzic said that the Dayton Agreement does not allow for “special relations” between foreign countries and entities from Bosnia, but only “parallel special relations”, and accused Serbia and the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia "the RS" of clearly violating the Dayton Agreement, and not respecting the sovereignty of Bosnia.

Silajdzic stated it is high time for the Office of the International High Representative in Bosnia to take steps and prevent the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia "the RS" from taking over the Bosnian state powers.

BOSNIAN PRESIDENT ZELJKO KOMSIC EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT BRANKO CRVENKOVSKI

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – The Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic conveyed his sincere condolences to the Macedonian President Branko Crevenkovski on the tragic death of Macedonian soldiers who were returning home after ending their peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.

“Deeply moved by the sad news on the tragic death of 11 members of the Macedonian Army, I wish to convey to You the sincere and heartfelt condolences on my own behalf and one behalf of the Bosnian Presidency and all Bosnian citizens.

Their tragic death has left all Bosnian citizens speechless and in shock.

This is a huge and immeasurable loss for all of us, as we all know that the Macedonian soldiers were on a mission of helping Bosnia and strengthening the deep friendship between our peoples and countries.

Please convey our condolences to the families of the tragically killed soldiers and the friendly people of Macedonia,”President Komsic said in his letter.

BOSNIA AND SWEDEN SIGNED AGREEMENT ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM PROGRAM

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) - Bosnia and Sweden have signed the Agreement on the Public Administration Reform (PAR) program 2008-2010 in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo yesterday.

The Bosnian Finance and Treasury Minister Dragan Vrankic and Swedish Ambassador to Bosnia Lars-Erik Wingren signed the agreement.

The agreement will provide 1,5 million Euros for the implementation of this project between January 1 2008 and December 31 2009.Director of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency for Bosnia Anders Hedlund has also attended the signing ceremony.

BOSNIAN STATE COURT: SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL NOVAK DJUKIC PLEADED NOT GUILTY

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – At the plea hearing before the Preliminary Hearing Judge of the Section I for War Crimes of theBosnian State Court,Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic pleaded not guilty. Serbian war criminal is charged with war crimes against Bosnian civilians committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Djukic, a former member of the genocidal paramilitary forces of the Serbians living in Bosnia (VRS), has pleaded not guilty to all counts in the indictment charging him with the shelling of the Bosnian city of Tuzla in 1995, when the city was in the United Nations' protected zone.

"Honourable court, I plead not guilty," Serbian war criminal Djukic told the Bosnian State Court, adding that he had received and understood the Bosnian State Prosecutor's indictment against him.

The Indictment alleges that on 25 May 1995 Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic ordered his units, located in the Panjik village at the mountain of Ozren, to fire a missile at a location in the centre of the eastern Bosnian city of Tuzla known as „Kapija.“

As a result of this attack, 71 Bosnian civilians were killed while approximately 240 sustained injuries.

The second count in the indictment charges Serbian war criminal novak Djukic with having ordered the "firing of nine artillery projectiles" at Tuzla, which hit the bus station killing one person, and caused great material damage to the iron foundry and a few other buildings.

The Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) arrested Serbian war criminal in Bosnia on November 7 last year. He has been held in custody since then.

Serbian war criminal Novak Djukic's trial is due to commence before the Bosnian State Court within the next 90 days.

BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS TO BE INTRODUCED IN BOSNIA FROM NOVEMBAR 1

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – The Bosnian Parliament's House of Representatives is expected to agree this Wednesday to the introduction of biometric passports in Bosnia from November 1 this year. This was announced by Nenad Sepic, the Bosnian Civil Affairs Deputy Minister, who said the novelty would be part of the Passport Act amendments.

All the preparations required by November are going on according to the schedule, he said. The new passports will be introduced gradually, upon the expiry of old ones.

The price has not been determined yet, among other reasons because the printing company has not been chosen yet. Sepic hopes that some domestic company would get the contract.

Biometric passports are part of the visa system liberalization process. It has not been decided yet whether the chipped passports would contain a fingerprint or a retinal scan.

A BANK CLERK STOLE 1 MILLION BOSNIAN MARKS IN BANJA LUKA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – Sanja Gvozdar Meseldzija,who was a clerk at the Banja Luka office of Raiffeisen bank, is suspected of committing a fraud worth more than 1 million Bosnian Marks. Police confirmed that the initial news about her arrest in Paris was misinformation, and that she is still on the run.

An Interpol arrest warrant has been issued for the 33-year-old who went
missing in September 2007, after stealing money from savings deposits.

The main, but not the only, suspect was allegedly stealing for seven months. The investigation so far indicates a perfect crime, but also a number of weaknesses in the bank’s system.

EUPM: FIGHT AGAINST ORGANISED CRIME TOP PRIORITY FOR 2008

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (January 15,2008) – Head of the European Union Police Mission in Bosnia (EUPM), Brigadier General Vincenzo Coppola, said yesterday that the EUPM will make the fight against organised crime a top priority for 2008.

Following a meeting with the Slovenian Ambassador and representative of the EU Presidency in Bosnia, Natasa Vodusek, General Coppola informed journalists at a news conference in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo about the extended mandate of the mission.

The EU Police Mission was extended for another two years following an invitation of the Bosnian authorities in 2007. The new mandate is based on three pillars:
1. Support to the fight against organised crime
2. Support to the police reform process
3. Strengthening police accountability

General Coppola assessed the security situation and the professional standards of the Bosnian police forces as fair. He pointed out, however, that major improvements can only be made after a meaningful police reform.

“Complex investigations and police operations against high profile criminals such as the one currently ongoing in Sarajevo cannot be executed in an efficient way without a meaningful police reform,” Coppola said.

“I am convinced that one of the reasons why it took so long to arrest the main targets is due to the fact that the prosecutor had to coordinate three different police forces. This case clearly shows that the current system is favouring only the criminals,” he said.

Presenting other priorities for 2008, General Coppola discussed the need for a closer and more trustful relationship between police and prosecution.

“We consider this a key issue. Police and Prosecutors have to understand that they are one team. This is not always the case. Within our mandate, we will continue to push for better coordination and cooperation between police and prosecutors,” Coppola said.

He concluded by saying that EU Police Mission will in 2008 and 2009 monitor, advise and inspect the local police at all levels.

„A reformed police will unlock many obstacles. I am encouraged by the efforts of the Working Group for Police Reform. In addition to that,the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) has to become fully staffed and fully operational. We will assist the local law enforcement agencies at all levels with our expertise. And I am confident that together we will make real progress in the coming two years,” Coppola stated.