Fahrudin Radoncic Trial Starts in Sarajevo

The trial of the leader of the Alliance for a Better Future for Bosnia, SBBBiH, Fahrudin Radoncic, his party colleague, Bakir Dautbasic, Dautbasic's partner, Bilsena Sahman, and a former employee of the US embassy in Sarajevo, Zijad Hadzijahic, started on Wednesday.

The four are accused of obstructing the work of the judiciary and of receiving and giving benefits as the result of undue influence peddling.

In his opening statement, Prosecutor Bozo Mihajlovic said the evidence in the indictment would prove the guilt of the accused.

The indictment says Radoncic ordered pressure to be put on a witness, Azra Saric, to make false testimony during the trial in Kosovo of the alleged drug baron Naser Kelmendi.

It says Dautbasic and his partner, Sahman, urged Saric not to mention Radoncic in her deposition and to protect Kelmendi.

Prosecutor Mihajlovic argues that the accused thereby obstructed the work of the judiciary in the investigation into Kelmendi and Radoncic as well as the proceedings that Kosovo had started against Kelmendi on the request of the Bosnian State Court, after Kosovo authorities did not extradite Kelmendi to Bosnia.

Defence lawyer Dragan Bargaric said Radoncic had not been responsible for organising any group, adding that as the key witness, Saric, had not named Radoncic in her testimony, Radoncic had no motive to put pressure on anyone.

Tatjana Savic, Dautbasic's defence lawyer, said there was no basis for the state court to confirm the indictment, adding that no crime was committed in connection with obstructing the judiciary or influence peddling.

Radoncic is also accused - in agreement with Dautbasic - with having have urged Hadzijahic, then a US embassy employee in Bosnia, to find out whether an...