On 2 June 2008 the Appellate Panel of Section II for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), deciding on the amended Indictment by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH in the Dragan Čović and Others case, pronounced the verdict refusing the charges that the accused Dragan Čović committed the criminal offense of Abuse of Office or Official Authority under Article 358 (3) of the BiH Federation Criminal Code of, due to the lack of jurisdiction of the Court of BiH. The Court also refused charges that the accused Jozo Ivanković-Lijanović, Jerko Ivanković-Lijanović, Slavo Ivanković-Lijanović and Mladen Ivanković-Lijanović committed the criminal offense of Organised Crime, Abuse of Office or Official Authority, Forgery of Documents, Tax Evasion and Abuse of Official Authority in Economy, due to the Prosecutor’s dropping the charges. Also, the Court issued the decision revoking bail previously set against the accused Dragan Čović by the Court of BiH Decision dated 14 December 2006.

On 17 November 2006, the Trial Panel handed down the first instance verdict in this case, finding Dragan Čović guilty of Abuse of Office or Official Authority, and sentenced him to five years of imprisonment.  The Trial Panel acquitted Dragan Čović, Jozo Ivanković – Lijanović, Slavo Ivanković – Lijanović, Mladen Ivanković – Lijanović, Jerko Ivanković – Lijanović, Mato Tadić, and Zdravko Lučić of the remaining charges in the indictment.  As the Prosecutor’s Office did not file appeals in relation to the Accused Mato Tadić and Zdravko Lučić, their acquittals by the Trial Panel have become final.

On 11 September 2007, the Appellate Panel of Section II for Organised Crime, Economic Crime and Corruption of the Court issued a decision on appeals from the Trial Panel’s verdict, whereby it granted the appeals filed by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH and the Defence Counsel for Dragan Čović, revoked the Trial Panel’s verdict and ordered a retrial before the Appellate Panel.