Abdulah Skaka denies guilt

Former Sarajevo Mayor Abudulah Skaka and three other defendants for financial abuses and other offenses pleaded not guilty at the Sarajevo Municipal Court, while defendant Džanela Kacila reached a guilt admission agreement.

Abdulah Skaka, Amela Kolovrat, Faris Fočo, and Hasan Mrkonja pleaded not guilty to the indictment charging them with abuse of position and other offenses.

Judge Galiba Katica stated that the court received a guilt admission agreement reached by Džanela Kacila with the prosecution.

“The agreement will be reviewed later,” said Katica.

The trial for Skaka and others who denied guilt will begin in the upcoming period.

The indictment, confirmed at the end of July, charges Skaka with abuse of position or authority, dereliction of duty, forgery of an official document, giving gifts and other benefits, and violation of human equality and rights.

Kolovrat is charged with abuse of position or authority, dereliction of duty, and forgery of an official document, while Kacila, Fočo, and Mrkonja are charged with deception in obtaining loans or other benefits.

The former mayor of Sarajevo is accused of illegally hiring four advisors in 2017, who were initially employed in the Municipality of Trnovo, only to be appointed as his advisors 24 hours later. He is also accused of illegally spending money from the City budget.

The prosecution previously announced that Skaka is accused of giving grant funds to non-governmental organizations close to him, which also included members of his family. With the help of the accused Kolovrat, the former assistant for finance and budget of the City, he allocated money from the budget to non-governmental organizations, or their presidents – Kacila, Fočo, and Mrkonja.

The accused presidents of the non-governmental organizations illegally justified the spent money, amounting to 48,000 KM.

In the part of the indictment related to the violation of electoral integrity, Skaka is also accused of promising various benefits, including money to councilors, before the election of the President of the City Council and the mayor, to vote according to his instructions, all to prevent Bogić Bogićević from being elected mayor, or for the accused Skaka to be re-elected.

He is also accused of forging financial reports in which he did not disclose donations received by the City, as well as diverting money from the budget intended for returnees to the construction of lighting in the weekend settlement Rajski Do, where his weekend house is located.

He is also accused of abuses related to public procurement for the Formula E electric car project, Detektor reports.