Dodik's car stopped for speeding in Croatia

Serb Republic (RS) President Milorad Dodik has confirmed that he last week paid a speeding ticket in Croatia.

However, the leader of the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina denied that he demanded spacial treatment when he was stopped on his way to the town of Karlovac.

The Banja Luka daily Nezavisne is reporting Dodik as saying that his car was moving at "over 180 kilometers per hour" - and that the fine was "astronomical."

In Croatia, the penalty for this type of traffic violation ranges from 400 to 950 euros.

"The (Croatian) police stopped my associates' car and we paid the fine and continued on our way. There was no search (of the vehicles). They were even polite, they said the radar had recorded it, so they couldn't cancel it. Instead of wasting a couple of hours to exercise the privilege of having the ticket removed we paid, and continued our trip. And we did 180 again," he said.

Dodik also addressed claims that he had asked for escort when he headed to Karlovac, to say that he never requests any special conditions.

"When I go to Serbia I go by car," Dodik said, adding that once the Banja Luka-Bijeljina highway, that will go to the Serbian border, has been completed, he would no longer travel to Serbia via Croatia.