Authorized officers of SIPA, acting on the orders of the Court of BiH and the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo issued at the request of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH and the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor's Office, carried out investigative activities in three operations code named "Patriot", "Memory" and "Pravda" [justice], with the aim to shed some light on the crimes of corrupt nature in the Federation BiH, as well as organized crime in conjunction with Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics.
Several police agencies in BiH are participating or assisting in the investigative activities and raids.
During the course of investigative activities the Office of the President of Federation of BiH in the BiH Presidency building was searched, as well as the Office of the President of Federation BiH in the FBiH Government building in Mostar.
Some premises of the Federal Ministry of Justice where the offices of the FBiH Commission for Pardons are located were also searched.
In addition to this, several apartments were searched in the Federation BiH.
The following 19 persons were deprived of liberty:
B.Ž., H.H., P.B., S.K., A.K., M.S., M.P., R.V., E.Ć., A.S., D.M., Đ.V., B.M., B.E., V.S., I.L., M.D., D.Ž., I.J.
The suspects are under investigation and are suspected to have committed the following criminal offenses: abuse of office or authority, illegal mediation, accepting and giving bribes, organized crime and illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs.
In line with Article 13 of the Law on the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, and due to excessive and justifiable public interest, we confirm that the President of the Federation BiH - Živko Budimir, Chairman of the Commission for Pardons of the FBiH - Hidajet Halilović and Advisor to the President of the Federation BiH - Petar Barišić are among those deprived of liberty.
After the arrest, the suspects shall be taken to the premises of SIPA, where they shall be examined by the JIT of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor's Office and the State Investigation and Protection Agency - SIPA.
At the same time we would like to refute those unfounded media allegations regarding the immunity of the President of the Federation BiH. Like all other representatives of the executive authority he has no immunity in criminal matters, as provided by the Law on immunity in Federation BiH. Therefore, reference to immunity under this Law is not at all possible. Following the completion of the initiated investigation activities, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH will inform the public.