Bosnia’s judicial council adopts guidelines to tackle money laundering

This step follows MONEYVAL’s February report, which urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to take more effective action in addressing financial crimes. The report warned that current measures fall short, prompting MONEYVAL to place Bosnia and Herzegovina under observation until February 2026.

Earlier this year, the Detektor investigative portal reported that Bosnian authorities acknowledged serious shortcomings in the country’s system for fighting illicit financial flows and their potential use in terrorism. If these deficiencies aren’t addressed, Bosnia could be categorised as a jurisdiction with strategic weaknesses in the global fight against money laundering and terror financing.

In response, the HJPC formed a Coordination Body to lead the implementation of MONEYVAL’s recommendations, appointing Prosecutor Bojana Jolovic and Judge Sedin Idrizović to the team.

At the same session, the Council also backed the appointment of Almir Tabakovic as Director of the Centre for the Education of Judges and Prosecutors of the Federation (CEST FBiH), following a proposal from CEST’s Management Board.

HJPC President Sanin Bogunic clarified that while the Council doesn’t formally appoint CEST’s director, it expects to hear directly from the candidate before forming an opinion. “Although the consultation process isn’t governed by HJPC rules, we believe the candidate should present their vision and work plan to the Council,” Bogunic said.

Tabakovic, who is currently serving as acting director, presented his program and emphasised his commitment to improving the Centre’s technical capacity as one of his top priorities.