Ante Jelavic: They Kidnapped Me, Seeking €1 Mln

Ante Jelavic has been abducted, according to unofficial information, on Wednesday afternoon not far from his apartment in Zagreb.

Former Croatian member of Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Ante Jelavic has been abducted, according to unofficial information, on Wednesday afternoon not far from his apartment in Zagreb, in front of the International Hotel.

The family says the kidnappers are seeking one million euros in ransom.

The head of the Croatian police staff, Krunoslav Borovec, did not want to give any information related to the case.

Bosnian MUP not informed of kidnapping

The Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that they do not have any official information on the alleged kidnapping of Ante Jelavic, which they heard about from the media.

“Nobody from the Croatian police has informed us about Jelavic’s disappearance, even though I was in contact with Krunoslav Borovec last night. Everything that the police in Bosnia Herzegovina currently know about the case is from the media. But the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs will certainly, if necessary, request help from us during the day” said Camil Kreso, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Bosnia Herzegovina.

Ante Jelavic, whose family reported his kidnapping last night, has been hiding at a secret address in Zagreb.

Sentenced to 9.5 years

Jelavic found himself in court in 2005 when he was sentenced via an invalid verdict to nine and a half years in prison, for embezzlement in the bank “Herzegovacka Banka”, and the procedure was led by the judges from the administration that was managing Bosnia Herzegovina.

The indictment was based on the report by Toby Robinson, who is temporarily acting as the director of the Mostar branch of the “Herzegovacka Banka” bank.

After complaints from Jelavic’s defence team, the appeal committee which was comprised of local judges cancelled the verdict and indictment, and a new procedure was ordered. Jelavic then went to Croatia, and he hid there in a secret location due to fear from the Bosnia secret service, so that he is not taken to Sarajevo for trial.

A court procedure was started against Jelavic and six associates for “breaking the constitutional hierarchy” of Bosnia Herzegovina.

Jelavic Was Hiding From Bosnian Secret Service.