Press Releases
Reports of Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Payment Untrue
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Public Affairs Section
Zagreb, Croatia
STATEMENT BY THE OFFICE OF WAR CRIMES ISSUES,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Issued on December 7, 2006
· Recent reports in some Croatian media that the U.S. Government paid a reward for information leading to the arrest of Ante Gotovina are incorrect. The U.S. Government has not paid any such reward. At this time, the Department of State has not received any nominations requesting that the Secretary of State authorize a reward payment.
· The RFJ Program is one of the most valuable assets used to capture war crimes fugitives. The U.S. Government offers up to a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of individuals indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. To date, the RFJ program has paid over $62 million for information leading to the arrest of terrorists, narcotics fugitives, and war criminals.
· To be eligible for a reward payment, an individual must first be nominated. All nominations are subsequently reviewed and then recommended for payment.
· The success of the RFJ program and its participants depends fully on maintaining strict confidentiality. Disclosing the name of an informant or the amount of reward paid would seriously jeopardize the safety of the informant, his/her family, and any affiliates. It would also deter future participation in the program, discouraging would-be informants from stepping forward with relevant information.