The president of Bosnia’s state court and a former spy chief have been arrested on suspicion of using wiretaps to eavesdrop on state court judges and employees of the Bosnian State prosecutors’ office who worked on certain cases and investigations.
State prosecutor Milanko Kajganic on December 19 announced the arrests of Ranko Debevec, the president of the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Osman Mehmedagic, former director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA).
"Organized crime cases were targeted by eavesdropping. We do not have evidence that there was eavesdropping on cases concerning political parties or other individuals,” Kajganic said at a news conference.
The accusations are related to abuse of power during 2020, Kajganic said.
He added that Debevec and Mehmedagic will be transferred from the State Investigation and Protection Agency of Bosnia-Herzegovina (SIPA) to the prosecutor’s office, which will decide further steps.
Based on the evidence collected so far, a one-month pretrial detention proposal most likely will be submitted, Kajganic said.
SIPA arrested Debevec and Mahmedagic on December 18. One other person, lawyer Vasvija Vidovic, was arrested under suspicion of “preventing the proof of a criminal act.”
Debevec was reelected as president of the Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina in January 2023. He was the only candidate for the position, which he has held since 2016.
He was reprimanded in August last year by the disciplinary committee of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Office of B&H (VSTV) after allegations that he provided false, misleading, or insufficient information in work-related matters.
He was also reported for behaving inside and outside of the court “in a manner that harms the reputation of a judicial posting." This allegation was in regard to alleged improper contact with a person who was prosecuted before the court and inappropriate comments to a prosecutor.
Mehmedagic was designated for U.S. sanctions in March. The United States later expanded sanctions against him and added his wife, Amela Mehmedagic Sehovic.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, (OFAC) said that Mehmedagic used a state telecommunications’ company for the benefit of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which is one of the biggest political parties in Bosnia. The OFAC also said there was credible information that Mehmedagic cooperated with criminal networks to make a profit for himself and his political party.