Illicit Assets Vanish after Verdicts
Judicial authorities often belatedly issue orders to freeze the assets of convicts after they have managed to sell them off.
Arrested Businessman Declares Innocence
Zoran Ćopić gave an exclusive interview to OCCRP seven days before he was arrested.
More Corruption – Fewer Trials
While the number of reported corruption cases rises, there are fewer trials and investigations against politicians can take years. BiH courts have acquitted one third of the white-collar defendants who have come before them, and mainly only the lowest level offenders get convicted. One out of five convicts get a jail term, while 80 percent gets away with a fine or probation.
Applying for a Job without Passing the Bar
Nedim Ćosić was appointed as an expert assistant with the Municipal Court in Sarajevo even though, at the time he applied for the job, he hadn’t taken the bar exam — one of the position’s key requirements.
Camping Around Fire Instead of Going to Prison
There is no guarantee that people sentenced to prison will ever serve any time. Some of the guilty, including some officeholders, have figured out how to postpone lock up for years. Others don’t ever go in.
Evidence Missing from Čovic and Lijanovićies file
Because original documents are missing from the case file of Čović and the Lijanovićies, legal proceedings could be endangered, according to the Prosecutor’s Office of Sarajevo Canton.
Secret Guests and Accounts of the State Villa in Trpanj
The FBiH government has invested 1.27 million KM in the “Residence of Rest” in Trpanj, an exclusive guesthouse on the Croatian Adriatic intended for politicians and civil servants. Taxpayers are paying increasing amounts for maintenance, which the government-owned company that runs the residence is hiding.
Pardoning for Officeholders
Twenty-five officeholders and government officials found guilty of abuse of office have been pardoned over the past five years. Some of them managed to avoid prison, while criminal records were erased for others. Some of the pardoned continue to work for public companies or serve in office.
Pardons for Policemen Too
Njegoš Poljaković, a former inspector for the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) sentenced to two years in prison for threatening the safety of citizens in traffic, received a double grace and was forgiven from serving part of his prison sentence.