TI BiH to the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel: Examine the conduct of Goran Salihovic

Transparency International in BiH requested from the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel to examine the allegations which claim that the Chief Prosecutor, Goran Salihovic, was under the pressure to stop the investigation against the President of RS, Milorad Dodik

Banja Luka, 9th August 2016 –Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) submitted a request to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate the media allegations related to the conduct of the Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH, Goran Salihovic.
In fact, the media launched the information that the Chief Prosecutor, Goran Salihović, due to and under the pressure provided by the third parties, ”closed” several investigations against the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and that there are official records and transcripts regarding it all in the possession of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).
TI BiH requested from the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel to investigate such allegations as part of its jurisdiction, since they may refer to several disciplinary offenses conducted by the Chief Prosecutor and prescribed by the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. Disciplinary offenses refer to the violation of the principle of impartiality, benefiting from the undue influence on the decisions and conducts of the prosecutors, use of the prosecutor’s function to obtain unjustified benefits for themselves or third parties, and causing damage to the prosecutorial function.
Allegations of the misconduct of the Chief Prosecutor become particularly important and authentic when placed in the context of the constant lack of results of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH regarding the prosecution of the corruption cases, especially those that include high-ranked officials. The Office of the Disciplinary Counsel is obliged to investigate all the allegations, which, if proved true, may bring into question all previous activities of the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and thus additionally undermine the reputation of this institution.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations, TI BiH expects that the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel will conduct a transparent procedure, in which it will inform the public about all the facts and determine the individual responsibility of each person brought in connection with this case.

Press rls – 9 8 2016 doc eng