President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik is due to appear before the prosecutor's office of Bosnia and Herzegovina on April 2 as a suspect in the investigation into the purchase of a villa in the upmarket neighbourhood of the Serbian capital Belgrade Dedine, reports BGNES.

In March 2022, Dodik gave his first testimony about the purchase of the villa, but no charges have been filed against him until he is questioned about all the circumstances of the investigation, the Bosnia and Herzegovina prosecutor's office said. He is suspected of money laundering, accepting gifts and other benefits, and abuse of office.

Dodik, who bought the villa in Dedine on 14 May 2007 for 750,000 euros, allegedly took a loan from the Pavlovic Bank of Bijeljina. However, the investigation revealed that the loan was taken out from this bank a year later, on 27 June 2008. Dodik personally stamped the loan request with the seal of the RS government, which he headed at the time.

Until 2018, the villa was rented to the Israeli embassy. According to investigators, the villa was built in 2005 and was worth 1 260 000 euros. | BGNES