Minister of Internal Affairs of Republic of Srpska Dragan Lukač pleaded not guilty today in the Basic Court in Banja Luka to a single count of indictment for endangering the security of the then former MP, and the current mayor of Banja Luka Draško Stanivuković, N1 reports.

Lukač briefly said today that he was "not guilty".

The indictment charges Lukač with threatening and hitting the then MP Stanivuković in the hall of the National Assembly of the RS in December 2019.

Lukač is charged with the criminal offense of "endangering safety", which is related to the criminal offense of "bodily injury".

The indictment alleges that Dragan Lukač hit the then MP Draško Stanivuković during a special session of the RS National Assembly held on December 23, 2019.

It is also stated that Stanivuković gave the RS Prime Minister Radovan Višković flags with the NATO pact, which the Prime Minister broke and threw on the floor.

- After that, Lukač made a serious threat to Stanivuković that he would harm him and addressed him in a threatening tone. And never do that to me again, I don't know how to treat others. Otherwise you will end up like those flags ended here today  it is stated in the indictment.

It is also stated that Dragan Lukač, when Stanivuković approached him, said the words "Come at me, come at me again if you dare, you ape", and then "hit him in the face with an open fist of his right hand", which caused him bodily injury, crushing the mucous membrane of the lower lip.