Dragomir Andan Removed from Office by OHR

Miroslav Lajcak, new the High Representative in BiH, has ordered the dismissal of a high level police officer in Republika Srpska and seizure of passports and travel document from 93 persons allegedly linked to crimes committed after the fall of Srebrenica 12 years ago.

The High Representative has also ordered the removal from office of  Dragomir Andan, deputy director of RS police. Lajcak has said that this decision has been made in consultation with Carla Del Ponte, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, who is currently visiting BiH.

According to Lajcak, Andan has been removed from office in order to be prevented from being able to “use his position to continue as a member of the war criminal support network”.

The High Representative has also added that he expects the RS authorities to undertake an investigation “of various criminal acts, including Andan’s role in supporting the persons indicted for war crimes”.

Lajcek has also ordered the confiscation of the passports and travel documents from 93 persons connected to commitment of war crimes or to participation in networks of support of ICTY fugitives.

“Investigations, initiated by the Prosecutor of BiH, are currently ongoing against the 93 persons. Most investigations refer to people on the so-called “Srebrenica list,” Lajcak explained, and added that 35 of them are serving members of RS police who have been suspended as of today.

Lajcek has explained that some of the suspended policemen testified at ongoing war- crimes trials and there was a “reason to believe that some of them deliberately gave false testimony” and this would be investigated.

The High Representative has also reached a range of decisions concerning changes and amendments to a few laws at the state level.

He has amended the Law on Travel Documents of BiH and the Law on Identification Cards to make it possible to seize these documents. As he explained, “in emergency situations, this can be done immediately after an investigation has been opened”.

The changes and amendment will be made to the Law on Criminal Proceedings of BiH, thus allowing the evidence collected by special investigators employed in the prosecutor’s office to be admissible in court.

“At present, this is not possible, as only the evidence collected by certain police and prosecutors may be admitted in court,” Lajcak has explained and added that this measure is “necessary to enable specialised international investigators to assist with the investigation of the events in Srebrenica”.

Amendments to the Law on Execution of Criminal Sanctions of BiH have also been enacted. These changes “ensure that prisoners convicted under State law who are serving sentences in Entity prisons should face a tougher regime”.

This has been prompted by the recent escape of  Radovan Stankovic, indicted for war crimes committed in Eastern Bosnia, from prison in Foca.

Explaining this decision, Lajcek has said that, in practice, the new measures mean that “the current rules permitting prison managers to approve weekend leave to prisoners – including those convicted of rape and murder – as soon as they begin serving their sentence, no longer apply. In addition, a special supervision for persons sentenced for war crimes will be introduced during their absence from prisons”.

The High Representative has added that he expects the Entity laws to be harmonised with these changes as soon as possible.

Miroslav Lajcak officially took over the function of the High Representative in BiH at the end of June this year. This is the first time he has been using the Bonn powers allowing him to appoint or remove local politicians and change existing laws.