Sven Alkalaj was not present when a verdict was returned. (Photo: NATO)

By: The Center for Investigative Reporting

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) acquitted today a former foreign affairs minister Sven Alkalaj of misconduct in office.

Last March, the state prosecutor’s office charged Alkalaj for signing off on a cash award of 13,418 KM to his then deputy Ana Trišić Babić for her work at the BiH Council of Ministers NATO coordination team. In this way Alkalaj violated the Council of Ministers’ resolution that prohibits cash awards to managers and their deputies heading government agencies. In this way Alkalaj damaged the budged for the aforementioned amount.

Justice Tatjana Kosović said that the Court established that there was no conscious violation of the law.

Alkalaj was not present when the verdict was returned. His attorney Senka Nožica told reporters that there was no grounds for filing indictment, little less for a conviction. “A minister is not expected to know whether every decision he signs off is in line with the law or not,” she said.

The state prosecutors announced that they would appeal the verdict adding how difficult fighting corruption can be when high-ranking politicians are involved.

This is a second acquittal in two days on charges of misconduct in public office. Yesterday the Court of BiH acquitted defense minister Marina Pendeš, of charges of the careless performance of official duties and forging documents.