The prosecution of Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Sarajevo canton formally indicted former interior minister Alija Delimustafic and 37 other individuals, as well as eight legal entities in a large organised crime case.

Delimustafic was accused of organising a criminal group that illegally registered and resold property of dead people between 2009 and 2016. According to the prosecution, the group has gained BAM10mn (€5.1mn) from such deals.

Delimustafic was arrested in November 2016 in a joint operation by Bosnian and Croatian police, along with several others accused of involvement in organised crime. He has been detained since then as his custody had been extended several times due to concerns that Delimustafic and the other detainees could escape or put pressure on witnesses. Since he was initially detained, Delimustafic has already fled the country once after he was released from custody for a short period in December.

“This is a case of systemic corruption involving the former interior minister of RBiH, a judge, a prosecutor, eight lawyers, court expert, notary, deputy director of the Agency for Forensic Testing in BiH, municipal officials, court couriers and company directors,” the prosecution said in a statement. It is still investigating several other people allegedly involved in the case.

The former interior minister has long history of legal troubles. He was previously sentenced to four years in jail for kidnapping. In addition, Delimustafic has been accused of bank fraud, organised crime and abuse of office while he was a minister, connected to the purchase of 32 automobiles.

Delimustafic has also been accused of attempting to organise a coup against former President Alija Izetbegovic back in the 1990s. In the long list of accusations against him are also falsifying documents and weapons trafficking. His name has been linked to the creation of the Bosnian death squad at the beginning of the bloody 1992-1995 Bosnian war.

Local media claim that Delimustafic has sponsored three political parties in the past, including the Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA), which is a member of the ruling coalition.