DEBEVEC RESIGNS FROM COURT OF BiH POSTS BEFORE DISCIPLINARY MEASURE IS HANDED DOWN

SARAJEVO, AUGUST 21 /SRNA/ - Ranko Debevec resigned as a judge and president of the Court of BiH before the disciplinary commission of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council /HJPC/ imposed the disciplinary measure of removal from these positions, the HJPC told SRNA.

Earlier this year, Debevec was handed the disciplinary measure of removal from office after being found responsible for failing, for a period of at least one year and nine months, to comply with the rules on the automatic assignment of cases to judges. The reasoning states that, although as president of the Court of BiH he was aware of the obligation to automatically assign cases and of his duty to ensure, oversee and monitor the proper assignment of cases, Debevec acted contrary to the relevant provisions of the Rulebook on the Case Management System in Courts in 16 cases. Debevec, together with former Intelligence-Security Agency director Osman Mehmedagić and former Court of BiH employee Milisav Pijuk, is standing trial before the Special Department of the Supreme Court of the Federation of BiH for Corruption, Organized and Inter-Cantonal Crime on charges of abuse of office, falsifying an official document, accepting a reward or other form of benefit in exchange for influence peddling, unlawful eavesdropping and audio and optical recording, as well as falsely presenting oneself.