Bosnia’s Security Minister Nenad Nešić was arrested on Thursday along with six others on charges of organised crime including money laundering, abuse of office and acceptance of bribes, the state prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
The state prosecutor and the Interior Ministry of Bosnia’s Serb Republic (RS) have been investigating suspected corruption at the public company Roads of RS, where Nešić was the general manager from 2016-2020.
The company’s current general manager Milan Dakić was also arrested, as well as Mladen Lučić, the brother of a former minister.
“They are suspected of having committed criminal offenses as managers of JP Putevi RS and persons who did business with the aforementioned company – conspiracy to commit criminal offenses, money laundering, abuse of official position or authority and accepting bribes,” the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH said in a statement.
Nobody from the company was immediately available to comment. Nešić, Dakić and Lučić could not be reached for comment.
The prosecution did not name the other four who were arrested.
Nešić is currently the president of the center-right Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS), which is in a coalition together with the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), headed by Milorad Dodik, the president of RS.
Dodik, who is himself on trial in Bosnia’s state court for defying the decisions of international peace envoy Christian Schmidt, accused the prosecutor’s office of a persecution campaign against Serb government officials.
“The procedure launched by Bosnia’s prosecutors office against Security Minister Nenad Nešić is totally unacceptable,” Dodik said on his X profile.
It was granted EU candidate status in December 2022.
In March 2024, the European Council gave Bosnia the green light to start membership talks with the EU on the condition that Bosnia fulfills eight benchmarks, one of which included fighting against corruption.
The company’s current general manager Milan Dakić was also arrested, as well as Mladen Lučić, the brother of a former minister.
“They are suspected of having committed criminal offenses as managers of JP Putevi RS and persons who did business with the aforementioned company – conspiracy to commit criminal offenses, money laundering, abuse of official position or authority and accepting bribes,” the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH said in a statement.
Nobody from the company was immediately available to comment. Nešić, Dakić and Lučić could not be reached for comment.
The prosecution did not name the other four who were arrested.
Nešić is currently the president of the center-right Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS), which is in a coalition together with the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), headed by Milorad Dodik, the president of RS.
Dodik, who is himself on trial in Bosnia’s state court for defying the decisions of international peace envoy Christian Schmidt, accused the prosecutor’s office of a persecution campaign against Serb government officials.
“The procedure launched by Bosnia’s prosecutors office against Security Minister Nenad Nešić is totally unacceptable,” Dodik said on his X profile.
Bosnia, whose politics are deeply influenced by its complex ethnic divisions, is one of the five Western Balkan countries currently negotiating EU accession.Потпуно је неприхватљив поступак који је Тужилаштво БиХ покренуло против министра безбједности БиХ Ненада Нешића. Овакав начин рада представља прогон кадрова из Републике Српске с циљем њене дестабилизације.
— Милорад Додик (@MiloradDodik) December 26, 2024
Тужилаштво БиХ показује да је постало инструмент појединих страних…
It was granted EU candidate status in December 2022.
In March 2024, the European Council gave Bosnia the green light to start membership talks with the EU on the condition that Bosnia fulfills eight benchmarks, one of which included fighting against corruption.
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