Bosnia’s intelligence chief charged with abuse of office

SARAJEVO, Bosnia – Bosnian prosecutors have charged the country’s secret service chief with abuse of power for allegedly using agency resources to spy on a man who filed a criminal complaint against him.

The prosecutors’ office said in a statement Thursday that Intelligence Security Agency head Osman Mehmedagic, together with the agency’s Cyber Security director Muhamed Pekic, allegedly sought to obtain information and photographs concerning the man.

The two officials were also charged with violating the right to privacy of postal communication, the statement added. It provided no details on the man allegedly placed under surveillance, or on the nature of his complaint against Mehmedagic.

The prosecutors said that “the accused abused their position in multiple ways, as well as (through) legal proceedings and official acts.”

The indictment must be confirmed by a Bosnian court before a trial could open. The prosecutors have demanded that the two officials be suspended from office.