Extra Detention Sought For Arrested Bosnian Ministers

Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic, the Federation's Agriculture Minister, his two brothers, Slavo and Jozo, Milorad Bahilj, the Federation's Trade Minister, and Mirko Galic are all suspected of large-scale tax fraud.

The Prosecutor's Office on October 7 said they all needed to be kept in detention because of the danger that they could flee justice, interfere in the investigation, conceal evidence or influence witnesses.

The two ministers were arrested on September 10 on suspicion of fraud and tax evasion, related to the businesses of several companies.

The State Investigative and Protection Agency, SIPA, which conducted the arrests, said it suspected the group had unlawfully gained around 6 million euro from unpaid or evaded taxes, from the improper use of incentives for the development of production and agriculture and from sales of stolen stocks of the Federal Department of Goods Reserves.

Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic's family owns the Lijanovici meat company, which is one of the largest meat companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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