Acquittal in High-Profile Case: Former Prosecutor’s Office Employee Cleared of Charges in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Former Prosecutor’s Office Employee’s Indictment Rejected
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has rejected the indictment against Mustafa Vrapac, a former employee of the Prosecutor’s Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a first instance verdict.
The verdict established that the actions of the accused do not include any of the crimes for which he was charged, and that those crimes that could be charged against him are not within the jurisdiction of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The court, as the Defense claimed, concluded that the element of official position or influence was missing for the crimes of “forging an official document” and “receiving a reward or other form of benefit for trading in influence”.
Key Points of the Verdict
- The defense did not disagree with the events from the indictment, but debated whether other criminal acts could be found for which the Court is not competent.
- According to the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CC BiH), the crime of “forging an official document” can only be committed by an officer or a responsible person exercising his official authority.
- The tasks described in Vrapac’s authorizations as head of the Department of General Affairs cannot be considered as authorizations that could be included in the act of “forging an official document” prescribed by the Bosnian Criminal Code and Herzegovina.
Impersonation and Influence
The court found that the actions taken by the accused could be classified as fraud under the FBiH CC, as he mispresented himself and created the impression that he had influence which he did not have.
The Council examined whether Vrapac’s actions were described by some other law for which the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has jurisdiction, but decided that they were not.
The prosecution should take steps to have the case heard before another competent court.
Background of the Case
According to the indictment, Vrapac forged the official identification of this organization on the website of the Prosecutor’s Office and used it to present himself as an officer without authorization.
He contacted one person at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 and demanded and received 20,000 KM from her in order to allegedly mediate with the prosecutor not to carry out certain actions.
An appeal is allowed to the Appeals Council of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.