Bosnia’s Security Minister Arrested Over Alleged Graft

Bosnia’s Security Minister, Nenad Nesic and six other people were arrested on charges of organised crime including money laundering, abuse of office and acceptance of bribes, the state prosecutor’s office said.

The state prosecutor and the Interior Ministry of decentralised Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic (RS) have been investigating suspected corruption at the public company Roads of RS, where Nesic was the general manager from 2016-20.

Lucic’s lawyer Nina Karacic confirmed that he was detained and his house searched.

“I only know this is about an alleged ‘acceptance of bribe’ criminal act,” Karacic said, adding that more would be known after a hearing with the prosecution.

The prosecution did not identify the other four people in custody.

RS President, Milorad Dodik is himself on trial in Bosnia’s state court for defying decisions of Christian Schmidt, the international peace envoy who oversees implementation of the Dayton treaty that ended Bosnia’s 1990s war.

Dodik accused the prosecutor’s office of a campaign of persecution against RS officials.

“The procedure launched by Bosnia’s prosecutor’s office against Security Minister Nenad Nesic is totally unacceptable,” Dodik said on his X profile.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere