Srebrenica Memorial chief claims special police raid is being prepared

Suljagic now claims that he has information that a new operation against the Memorial Center is being prepared, this time involving armoured vehicles, masked special police officers, cameras from Republika Srpska public broadcaster RTRS and the removal of documents from the institution.

According to Suljagic, the alleged operation has nothing to do with a legitimate investigation, but is instead intended to reduce the Memorial Center “to its proper size and to a cemetery in the provinces,” Klix.ba reported.

He did not say where he obtained the information or when the alleged operation could take place. He also did not identify the people in Sarajevo to whom he had referred in his earlier statement.

The claims come against the backdrop of proceedings initiated in late July by the Bijeljina District Public Prosecutor’s Office. Acting on the prosecutor’s orders, Republika Srpska police summoned 26 current and former associates of the Srebrenica Memorial Center for questioning over alleged tax evasion.

The Prosecutor’s Office later told the Srna news agency that no formal investigation had been opened. It said police, under the supervision of a prosecutor, were checking information contained in a complaint concerning alleged evasion of taxes and contributions, and that all those summoned were being questioned as witnesses.

Suljagic rejected allegations of tax evasion at the time, saying the Memorial Center operates through Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state treasury.

Neither the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry nor the Bijeljina District Public Prosecutor’s Office has so far commented on Suljagic’s latest claims about the alleged planned operation.