The Bosnian State Court's appeals chamber on Friday upheld a decision to set one month's detention for Zivko Budimir, President of the Federation entity, and four other persons on suspicion of corruption.
The chamber dismissed the defence lawyers' appeals in their entirety and accepted the state prosecution's additional arguments that these are crimes carrying a sentence of ten years' imprisonment, said State Court spokeswoman Aida Delic-Volas.
In its decision to set detention for the suspects, a panel of judges cited flight risk, as most carry both Bosnian and Croatian citizenship, as well as witness and evidence tampering.
Budimir, his advisor Petar Barisic, the president of the pardons commission, Hidajet Halilovic, and the presidents of the Bosniak and Croat associations of demobbed veterans, Saud Kulosman and Ivan Jurcevic respectively, were arrested last week on suspicion of taking bribes so that dozens of criminals could be pardoned. Another 20 suspects arrested in this corruption suppression operation were released from custody.
