BOSNIAN OFFICIALS WELCOME ACQUITTAL OF BOSNIAN ARMY COMMANDER NASER ORIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - Bosnian officials welcomed yesterday a decision by the Appeals Chamber of the UN War Crimes Tribunal to overturn the war crimes conviction of the former commander of the Bosnian Army units in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica Naser Oric and acquitted him of all war crimes charges including the killings of six genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's soldiers captured and held by the Bosnian Army in 1992 and 1993 in Srebrenica.

The Appeals Chamber of the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) determined there was too little evidence to justify Oric's initial conviction.

"The evidence that Naser Oric is innocent have always existed and I think it is a great shame that he spent almost four years in jail, said yesterday the President of the Mothers of Srebrenica Association, Munira Subasic.

"When the indictment was raised by ICTY against Naser Oric, I, as a victim of genocide, searching after members of my family murdered in Srebrenica, felt then that the court had become unjust", Subašić added.

She considers that when Naser Oric was taken to the Hague Tribunal, the politics entered that Court.

"I can't believe that after the genocide, the massacre of our children, the judges and prosecutors had nothing else to do but to condemn one man who tried to defend Bosnia as best as he knew", Subasic points out.

She repeated that the war criminals should be prosecuted in the ICTY and that they should be sentenced to the life imprisonment.

"That is the only way in which the Hague Tribunal could return a small piece of justice, and the victims of genocide to feel that someone did something for them", Subasic said.

Commenting on the decision, Srebrenica Mayor Abdurahman Malkic said it proved that the Bosnian Army was never involved in war crimes in the Srebrenica area.

Associations of demobilized soldiers from the Bosnian Army also welcomed the chamber's decision and called for the urgent arrest of all Serbian war criminals still at large.

In 1995, the genocidal Serbian fascist aggressor's forces stormed a U.N.-declared "safe haven" in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica and mass murdered some 10,000 Bosnian civilians,which was Europe's worst civilian massacre since World War II.

Two of the masterminds of the Serbian genocide against the Bosnian people,committed during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia,Serbian war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are still hiding from justice.They remain at large almost 13 years since being charged with genocide by the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
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AUDIT REPORT FOR BOSNIAN STATE INSTITUTIONS PRESENTED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - Out of 57 Bosnian government institutions in which audit was conducted in 2007, only 11 were issued with a positive report by the Bosnian State Audit Office. Although none of these got a negative report, one or more irregularities were reported for 46 state institutions.

The Public Procurement Act is by far the most breached - by 35 state institutions.

Situation is said to be worst at the ministries of foreign affairs and inance. The least progress was shown by the ministry of defense, which implemented 118 out of 221 recommendations given in 2006.

"Overall, an increased financial discipline is seen at all Bosnian state institutions," head auditor Marinko Sego stated.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT MINISTERS TO GET PAY RAISE OF 108 PER CENT THIS MONTH

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - The new law regulating salaries in the Bosnian government institutions has come into force, and higher salaries are expected from this month.

The new salary formula is especially favourable for members of the Bosnian State Presidency, government ministers, cabinet heads and assistants.

The salary of ministers has thus been increased by 108 per cent, while their assistants are to get 73.61 per cent more every month.
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BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT FISCAL SURPLUS WAS 278 MILLION BOSNIAN MARKS IN 2007

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - The Bosnian Central Bank released yesterday the regular annual report about the Bosnian government finances. The consolidated fiscal surplus in 2007 was 278 million Bosnian Marks, which is 1.3 per cent of the GDP.

Although 2007 saw a worsening financial situation for Bosnia, because the net surplus was almost half the 2006 surplus, current revenue was higher than current spending and public investments.

Spending was growing at the annual rate of 17 per cent, while consolidated revenues increased by 15 per cent in 2007, and totalled 9.83 billion Bosnian Marks. Public investments were significantly up (by 53 per cent), and reached 746 million Bosnian Marks.
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GREGORIAN MET WITH TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (July 4,2008) - The International Community's Principal Deputy High Representative in Bosnia Raffi Gregorian met yesterday with a delegation of Transparency International, consisting of Executive Director Srđan Blagovčanin, Executive Board member Emir Đikić and Programme Manager Bojan Stančević.

Blagovčanin informed Gregorian that Transparency International continues to be the subject of public attacks by the political representatives of the Serbians living in Bosnia, including the alleged claim that its staff are engaged in racketeering and organised crime.

Gregorian expressed full support for Transparency International’s request for any such allegations to be handled by an independent judiciary, in accordance with principles of due process and impartiality.

“Transparency International has never been contacted by police, questioned, or served any notice by the courts. There have been repeated announcements by representatives of the (genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia) "RS" of legal action against the organisation, which have never resulted in concrete action. If anyone believes that there is a civil or criminal case to be answered, it should be done through the courts, and not public statements”, Gregorian said.

Gregorian stressed that attacks on independent civil society actors are inconsistent with democratic practice and the rule of law.

“Instead of engaging in potentially libellous attacks against the staff of Transparency International, all levels of the Bosnian government should work on improving governance, and enhancing transparency and civil society participation in public life,” Gregorian stated.
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