Serbian authorities accused Šarić, who’s been on the run since 2009, of being a mastermind of a big Balkan drug ring.
The prosecutor condensed the information from evidence, including bank slips, contracts among various firms and bogus invoices, on the scheme of money laundering that was presented before the Panel of Judges. In this way, he showed that Ćopić was responsible for receiving dirty money sent to a Banja Luka-based Agrocoop Export-Import, and wiring it down the road to the accounts of various companies he owned. Once the dirty money became clean, it returned to Agrocoop, and some of it was used to buy shares of the Bijeljina Sugar Factory.
Ljubo Mrđen, Agrocoop’s director, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison.
When the prosecutor started to present evidence seized from Ćopić’s firm Avio Rent, there was commotion in the small hall of the District Court.
Among other things, Čelić enumerated the company’s flights and the names of its clients,that included Serbian celebrities such as Jelena Karleuša and Indira Radić.
Ćopić protested and the prosecutor decided to skip over the details.
Ćopić had set up Avio Rent with Miodrag Mišo Dobrić, executive director of Pink BH television to provide charter flight services. Pilot Drago Nižol, the second co-defendant in the case, was appointed Avio Rent’s director.
The defense announced that it would call Ćopić to the witness stand the following day.
Odbrana je najavila da će na sutrašnjem ročištu pozvati Zorana Ćopića da svjedoči u svoju korist, najavivši da će njegovo svjedočenje potkrijepiti materijalnim dokazima.
