An Inquiry Board tasked with reviewing how authorities conducted an investigation into the controversial death of Belgrade student David Dragicevic had exceeded its competencies and breached the Constitution of Republika Srpska (RS), Bosnia’s Serb-dominated part, RS ruling party lawmakers said.
The body of David Dragicevic, 21, was found in a river near Banja Luka in March. The police of the RS, Bosnia’s Serb-dominated semi-autonomous entity, said a few days later that there was, at the time, no reason to believe his death was the result of a crime.
However, two autopsies conducted by two different teams produced opposite results regarding the time of death.
This outraged the family as well as a number of citizens. Hundreds protested against what they claim was a police cover-up.
Weeks-long protests in Banja Luka demanding “Justice for David” mounted enough pressure for the RS National Assembly (parliament) to form a Board of Inquiry which reviewed how the investigation into David’s death was conducted.
The Board presented its conclusions on June 5 and said there was reason to believe David was killed. It called on competent institutions to look into possible wrongdoing by RS Interior Minister Dragan Lukac, the RS police director, and other law enforcement officials.
The RS National Assembly (Parliament), however, rejected those conclusions on Wednesday.
The ruling party in the RS, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), has been criticizing the Inquiry Board, saying it is being used as a political tool by the political opposition in the entity.
“There was an abuse of the position and competencies of the Board of Inquiry, as it exceeded its competencies which are clearly stated in the National Assembly Rule Book. This was spearheaded by its President, Branislav Borenovic, who is the political coordinator of the ‘Justice for David’ protest group,” the SNSD said.
Borenovic and his party are within a coalition that has been in fierce opposition to the SNSD.
“The President of the Board of Inquiry, Branislav Borenovic, gave people who are not members of the Board the right to question prosecutors, the Minister and employees of the (RS) Ministry of Interior and other competent people,” the SNSD release said.
The “clear” goal of this, according to the SNSD, is an attempt to bring down the institutions of the RS and this is being coordinated by RS opposition parties and supported by media in Sarajevo and even financially by “certain embassies. “
The Board of Inquiry was not competent to classify the death as a murder, the party said.
“With this, the constitutional separation of powers of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government have been jeopardized,” the SNSD said and called for prosecutors to determine whether this can be interpreted as a criminal act of abuse of office by Borenovic and members of the Board who sided with him.
