The Prosecutor’s Office of Tuzla Canton is finalizing the investigation into the tragedy in the Tuzla Retirement Home, in which 17 users died in a fire that occurred in November last year, while more than 30 people were injured. All the segments that indicate the failures that preceded the tragedy were analyzed, and a large number of witnesses were heard.
Unofficially, we learn that an indictment could soon be filed against the most responsible persons suspected of this grave tragedy.
The Cantonal Court in Tuzla has so far determined that there is a well-founded suspicion that the suspects Mirsad Bakalović, former director of the Tuzla Retirement Home, and Zinaida Razić-Halilović, former head of the Department for Economic and Financial Affairs, committed criminal acts, among other things, against the general safety of people and property.
The spokesman of the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor’s Office, Admir Arnautović, said that the investigation is ongoing.
“We are doing it now, analyzing and collecting documentation. We have collected all the material documentation related to this case, we are analyzing numerous regulations related to it. Hearings of a certain number of persons in the capacity of witnesses in this matter are underway,” Arnautović said.
Checks in institutions
The role of the line ministry was also checked, and Tuzla Canton Minister of Labor and Social Policy Fadil Alić (SDA) states that the competent authorities have already carried out certain checks.
“It is unquestionable that certain checks were carried out by investigative authorities when it comes to the activities of the line ministry. My colleagues also gave certain statements and answered questions,” said Alić.
He also claims that before the tragedy, numerous failures were identified in the functioning of the Pensioners’ Home, which until then had not submitted the use permit to the Ministry.
“There was an impression in the public as if the line ministry waited from June to November to take the case into consideration. During that period, in the span of two and a half months after the inspector’s intervention, we received requests from public and private institutions for the issuance of decisions. We are talking about more than 30 institutions that submitted requests, and the procedure goes in chronological order, as the requests arrived. It seems that in the foreseeable future we should be given a use permit, which treats all segments, including social protection,” said Alić.
Chain of responsibility under investigation
Dozens of witnesses have been heard so far. This case will soon have its judicial epilogue.
Tuzla Canton Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Admir Arnautović pointed out that a broader chain of responsibility is being analyzed.
“The essence of these analyzes is to determine whether there are elements of criminal offenses in the actions or inactions, actions or inactions of the responsible persons in the ministries or inspection bodies. We will move towards solving this case as soon as possible, both in the part that refers to the responsible persons in the Pensioners’ Home, and in the chain of responsibility in the ministries, administrations and supervisory bodies that had the duty of control and supervision,” Arnautović said.
Political reactions and expectations
Political actors in the Tuzla Canton insist on a comprehensive analysis of all responsible individuals and institutions.
Dragana Berberović-Gagro, councilwoman of Our Party in the Tuzla City Council, believes that responsibility cannot be limited to individuals.
“All the blame and all the responsibility cannot be on two people. There is a chain of responsibility and everyone should be held accountable for the omissions they made. The prosecution will establish all the facts and who was responsible for which omission, and I believe in our judiciary,” said Berberović-Gagro.
Unofficially, we have learned that responsibility has not been established in the actions of the Cantonal Ministry for Labor and Social Policy and the City Administration of Tuzla. The level of responsibility of other control bodies, which are suspected of having committed any of the criminal acts related to the tragedy in the Pensioners’ Home, is still being checked.
(TYPE/Source: federalna.ba/Author: Omer Hasanović/Photo: Illustration)
