On Thursday morning, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković filed a criminal report against HDZ and SNSD officials for the illegal opening of a border crossing in Gradiška. 

On the same day, several hours later, Elmedin Konaković, at a session of the BiH Council of Ministers, voted for this illegally opened crossing to be included in the international agreement between BiH and Croatia on Border Crossings, writes Istraga.ba.

Namely, the BiH Council of Ministers launched the process of "legalization" of the illegally opened Gradiška border crossing this week. Ministers from the Troika parties voted for this decision (Zukan Helez was not present, Konaković voted by his authorization as deputy chairman). Just 48 hours after the decision by HDZ and SNSD officials "temporarily" opened the Gradiška border crossing (Novi Most), the BiH Council of Ministers adopted a draft "agreement between the Republic of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on border crossings" which includes the "Gornji Varoš-Gradiška Novi Most" border crossing. This is, in fact, the crossing that was opened by a decision of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Deputy Minister of Security Ivica Bošnjak, without prior consent from the competent institutions (the Management Board of the Administration for Indirect Taxation and the BiH Council of Ministers). This agreement, however, has not yet been signed because the final decision, in accordance with the Law on Conclusion and Implementation of International Agreements, must be made by the Presidency of BiH.

According to documentation in Istraga's possession, BiH negotiating teams established a draft border agreement in Zagreb on April 23 of this year. Article 1 states that "on the common state border between the contracting parties, specific border crossings are determined.

- Border crossings for international road transport of passengers and goods which, in accordance with the applicable legislation of the contracting parties, are subject to inspection controls and supervision: Svilaj – Donji Svilaj, Stara Gradiška – Gradiška, Gornji Varoš-Gradiška Novi Most, Ličko Petrovo Selo – Izačić, Kamensko-Kamensko, Nova Sela – Bijača - as stated in the draft agreement.

Thus, the BiH Council of Ministers unanimously gave consent for the illegally opened border crossing to be part of the agreement with Croatia.

Recall that Zijad Krnjić, a member of the Management Board of the Administration for Indirect Taxation, refused to vote for a decision that would create prerequisites for opening the Novi Most Gradiška border crossing, demanding that the Management Board first adopt a decision on settlement between the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of BiH, as RS owes the Federation approximately 150 million marks from indirect taxes. After that, mysteriously, a bridge collapsed at the old Gradiška crossing, and on the same day, Deputy Minister of Security of BiH Ivica Bošnjak (HDZ) issued a decision to open a "temporary border crossing" at the Novi Most Gradiška. On the same day, BiH Finance Minister Srđan Amidžić opened the Border Crossing through which trucks began crossing on that same day.

- At temporary border crossings, it is not permitted to transport goods subject to inspection controls and subject to excise payment - as stated in the Rules on the Procedure for Determining a Temporary Border Crossing adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers in February of this year.

Thus, most goods could not be transported across this border crossing. However, regardless of that, trucks with goods crossed into Croatian territory (EU) and BiH, although it is unclear how customs controls were conducted given that the Management Board did not adopt a new systematization, and the existence of customs control at this "temporary" border crossing was not confirmed.

- Sometime from noon, plant and animal origin products started crossing this border crossing - stated Radovan Đurić, head of the Gradiška customs office, on May 21 for ATV.

Recall that the New Bridge Gradiška border crossing was "temporarily opened". According to the Rules, goods subject to inspection controls cannot be transported across temporary border crossings. According to the BiH Veterinary Law and the Rules on Conditions for Import and Transport of Live Animals, Raw Materials, Products and By-products of Animal Origin, such types of goods must undergo inspection control. Thus, such goods cannot be transported across a temporary border crossing, writes Istraga.ba.