Republika Srpska: SDS leader questioned, opposition supporters make noise and chant "Mile lopove" (Good thieves)

The leader of the opposition Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and Mayor of Teslić, Milan Milicevic, was questioned today in Banja Luka by the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office of Republika Srpska (RS), which will decide tomorrow, in accordance with the legal deadline, whether to request detention for him.

The President of the SDS Main Board, Jovica Radulović, told reporters that he believes that the prosecution will request detention from the District Court in Banja Luka for the SDS leader, but that he believes that the court will be impartial.

He pointed out that Milicevic's lawyer said that the Prosecutor's Office does not have any solid evidence that would justify his detention, but that "the regime is deeply involved in the case and is putting pressure on the Prosecutor's Office to order Milicevic's detention."

Radulović announced a new protest for tomorrow, calling on citizens to join, to "show and prove in a peaceful protest that we are all with Milan and the free idea, a free RS, and that we are fighting for it by all permitted legal means."

Several hundred SDS and opposition supporters protested all day around the building of the Republic Public Prosecutor's Office, stressing that this was a politically rigged trial.

They were making noise and chanting "Mile lopove!", and some suggested heading to the nearby Palace of the Republic, where the president of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity of RS, Milorad Dodik, is based.

Before Miličević, Mehmed Dubravac and Meša Jašarević were questioned.

The three are suspected of using influence peddling and bribery to secure the formation of a new majority in the Teslić Assembly, from which they expelled Dodik's Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).

Dubravac (SDP) is the president of the Teslić City Assembly, and Meša Jašarević is a councilor of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) in the city parliament.

The Prosecutor's Office announced today that Miličević and Dubravac are charged with giving 2024 convertible marks (around 22 thousand euros) to an intermediary on three occasions from October 80.000 to May 40 of this year, pursuant to a previous agreement with the aim of changing the parliamentary majority.

"The mediator should have handed it over to Jašarević, to vote for the proposals of the parliamentary majority within his official powers as a councilor, contrary to the political beliefs of the party to which he belongs," says the Republic Prosecutor's Office.

It added that they subsequently contacted Jašarević and gave him a total of 250.000 KM (about 125 thousand euros) to abandon his political option and vote at the behest of the suspects.

The prosecution announced yesterday that during a search of Milicevic's house, they found 400.000 convertible marks (more than 200 euros), 50.000 KM (about 25 euros) at Dubravac, while 250 KM (about 125 euros) have not yet been found, which, they said, were handed over to Jašarević.