Bosnian state prosecutors said Friday that the president of one of its two autonomous regions was arrested on corruption charges. Zivko Budimir, president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a suspect in corruption cases, the prosecutor said. Media speculated that he could be suspected of taking money to pardon convicted prisoners.
The prosecutor's office said Budimir's advisor Petar Barisic and the president of the commission for pardons Hidajet Halilovic and were also arrested. Earlier reports said that Budimir had invoked immunity from prosecution, but prosecutors office said that he does not enjoy it.
Officers raided and seized material from Budimir's offices in Sarajevo, Mostar, and in several other locations, prosecution said. Local media said that Budimir had responded positively to 162 of 465 pleas for pardon. Bosnia was divided into two autonomous regions, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serb Republic, to end the war in 1995. The two regions share central institutions.