Convicted football boss Zdravko Mamic, wanted by Croatia following his sentencing to six and a half years in prison, told the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Friday he had Bosnian citizenship, with his attorney objecting to Croatia's request for his extradition, which the Court is expected to decide within 24 hours.

Judge Tatjana Kosovic asked Mamic if he knew why he was in court, to which he replied that his current address was in Tomislavgrad, Bosnia, that he had Bosnian citizenship, and was a sports manager.

His attorney, Zdravko Rajic, said Mamic does not agree to be voluntary extradited to Croatia, citing his Bosnian citizenship. Mamic reiterated that his year-long trial in the eastern Croatian city of Osijek over syphoning of transfer fees from Dinamo Zagreb football club and tax evasion had been rigged, and that he did not trust Croatia’s justice system.

Mamic was arrested on Thursday by Bosnia’s state police agency SIPA and brought to the Bosnian State Court, spending the night in its detention unit. Last week, the Osijek court sentenced him pending appeal to six and a half years in jail for defrauding Dinamo and Croatia’s tax authorities. He left the country for Bosnia the day before the sentence was handed down.

His brother Zoran, who has also been sentenced to prison pending appeal by the Osijek court, was in the courtroom in Sarajevo today.

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