Operation Code-Named “Panama” Continued – Number of Civil Servants Arrested

On 27 March 2013, in the framework of an investigation, which was being carried out for some time by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), in cooperation with members of the Indirect Taxation Authority and Una-Sana Canton Ministry of Interior, upon the order from the Court BH and Prosecutor’s Office BH, extensive activities are underway in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As a part of this operation, searches at 18 locations were carried out and 11 individuals were arrested on grounds for suspicion of having committed the criminal offence set out in the Article 220, Paragraph 3) of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Abuse of Office or Official Authority” and criminal offence set out in the Article 224, Paragraph 2) of CC BH “Lack of Commitment in Office”. The arrested individuals are civil servants from the Indirect Taxation Authority BH.

Residential buildings at several locations were searched in Banja Luka, Bihać, Prijedor, Cazin, Laktaši, Kozarska Dubica and Gradiška, as well as official premises of the Indirect Taxation Authority at border crossings, Gradina, Bihać and Novi Grad customs offices, including the main offices of the Regional Centre of the Authority in Banja Luka.

During the searches, substantial quantities of business documents, notebooks, planners, external carriers of electronic data, mobile telephones and other items that might be used as evidence in criminal proceedings were found and seized.

It was estimated that the damage to the budget of BH between 2009 and 2011 amounted to more than 8.9 million BAM by illegally placing 138 trucks containing circa 3 million kilos of raw coffee into BH market.

The apprehended individuals will be brought to the official premises of SIPA, where they will be criminally processed, whereupon they will be handed over to the Prosecutor’s Office BH for further processing.

This comprehensive operation is another indicator that SIPA is committed to combating organised in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly organised crime and corruption.

The video footage of the arrest :