The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled against custody for one of the suspects in the wind park scandal, Milenko Basic, the owner of the Lager company, who was arrested on Wednesday together with the company's executive director, Dragan Stipic, after Croatia issued a warrant for their arrest.

“The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has rejected the request for custody. The suspects have been ordered to report to the police and not to leave Western Herzegovina Canton,” Basic's defence attorney, Zdravko Rajic, said on Friday.

He explained that Basic had turned himself into the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in Mostar, after which a hearing was conducted.

Rajic denied that Croatia had requested Basic's extradition. “That has not happened yet,” he added. He could not say whether and when Croatia would request Basic's extradition.

Croatia's anti-corruption office USKOK suspects 13 state officials and entrepreneurs of being involved in the wind park scandal, including a former state secretary in the Public Administration Ministry, Josipa Rimac, who has been charged with influence peddling, abuse of office and authority, and bribery.

Basic and Stipic are suspected of offering a €45,000 bribe to Rimac to secure preferential treatment for the CEMP company so it could get the necessary permits for its wind park.