Jelena Rašić Contempt Case Judgement to be rendered on Tuesday, 7 February 2012

The Hague, 3 February 2012
VE/CS/PA489e

Jelena Rašić

The Judgement in the trial for contempt of the Tribunal of Jelena Rašić, former case manager on the Defence team of Milan Lukić, will be rendered on Tuesday, 7 February 2012 at 14:15 in Courtoom I.

On 31 January 2012, the Trial Chamber accepted the Plea Agreement filed jointly by the Prosecution and the Defence at a hearing at which Rašić pleaded guilty to all five counts of Contempt.

Rašić pleaded guilty to knowingly and willingly interfering with the Tribunal’s administration of justice by procuring a false witness statement from Zuhdija Tabaković from Višegrad in exchange for €1,000 in cash. Rašić approached Tabaković on or about 18 October 2008 with a request to sign a pre-written statement even though he did not witness the events nor did he have any knowledge of the events described in the statement. Once Tabaković signed the statement and the signature was certified at the Novi Grad Municipality building in Sarajevo on 20 October 2008, Rašić gave Tabaković an envelope containing 1,000 euros and stated he would be paid more money once he testified. A summary of the statement then appeared on the witness summary list filed by the Defence for Milan Lukić in November 2008 and was provided to OTP in full in January 2009.

Rašić also pleaded guilty to inciting Tabaković to offer bribes and to procure false witness statements from two other individuals. She presented Tabaković with two other pre-written statements asking him to find two men to sign them and testify in return for a payment of 1,000 Euros.  Tabaković found two men willing to do so and on 23 October 2008, Rašić met the two men and accompanied them to the Novi Grad Municipality building where she completed the statements. Once their signatures were certified, the two men were given envelopes containing money by an associate of Rašić. Zuhdija Tabaković was convicted of Contempt of the Tribunal on 15 March 2010 and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.

The indictment against Rašić was filed confidentially on 9 July 2010 and made public on 22 September 2010. Rašić was transferred to the seat of the Tribunal on 20 September 2010 and at her initial appearance on 22 September 2010, pleaded not guilty to all five counts of contempt.

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Case Information Sheet