TUZLA, January 16 (FENA) - The Cantonal Court in Tuzla has convicted former minister in the Federation of BiH Jerko Ivanković Lijanović for the abuse of official position to a prison sentence of nine years, and his adviser, Stipe Šakić, was sentenced to one year in prison.
Lijanović was charged together with his advisor Šakić for abuse of office and authority over the irregularities in granting incentives to farmers in Tuzla and the Federation of BiH in the period from 2011 to 2014.
In the said case, other persons under charges were Mersed Šerifović, a former member of the Tuzla Canton Assembly, and Suad Čamdžić, a former adviser, but after the signing of the plea agreement they were sentenced to two and a half years in prison each. Edin Ajanović, former minister in the Government of the Tuzla Canton, was sentenced to one year in prison.
During the process, the Prosecution claimed that the abuse of incentives in the field of agriculture was committed deliberately and systematically, and that only the testimonies of the three convicted witnesses were sufficient for a conviction in this case. Also, the prosecutor said that farmers were racketeered all across the Federation of BiH.
“This was a criminal network that extended all the way to Bihać, Mostar and Travnik,” said the prosecutor Dalibor Bingas, claiming that the total value of acquired property gained by the commission of this criminal offense was 836,000 KM, and given that the convicted Šerifović and Čamdžić returned 120,000 KM, about 710,000 KM should be seized from Lijanović, and 5,700 KM from Šakić.
The trial lasted more than a year and a half. Today’s judgment is subject to an appeal, reports BIRN-Justice Report.
(FENA) S. R.