Lawyer Bešlo Mujčin, the "culprit" for savings depositors: Your money is now safe

Lawyer Bešlo Mujčin, originally from Zenica with an office in Düsseldorf, Germany, is one of the key figures who achieved a victory before the European Court of Human Rights, whose ruling states that Slovenia and Serbia must return the so-called old foreign currency savings deposited in the former Ljubljanska banka and Investbanca, reports the Patria News Agency.

This ruling ended the agony of Bosnian and Herzegovinian savers, and to be fair, Bešlo was the only one to submit a coherent and relevant application that led to the verdict from which all savers of Ljubljanska banka and Investbanka Beograd, on behalf of three applicants, our citizens "Ališić, Sadžak, Šahdanović," will benefit.

- This is a pilot ruling, and it effectively obliges Slovenia and Serbia to enable my clients and all others in their situation to collect their foreign currency savings under the same conditions as domestic citizens had. I submitted the application on July 30, 2005, and I selected these three clients for economic reasons. I have been in Germany since 1994, and I have been working as a legal expert for the rights of the republics of former Yugoslavia since August 2000 – says Mujčin, who was not at all exposed in the media.

He further adds that he has nine years of difficult human and legal work behind him, considering that he did not charge the parties for costs and fees.

- Bearing in mind all the circumstances of this case, my intention was primarily to help people. My experience with the court's work is such that I believe the court was extremely thorough and responsible and that it correctly established all the facts. They analyzed all the regulations of former Yugoslavia, then the agreements on succession issues, bank transformations, etc., all the regulations and rules of the successor states – Mujčin explains.

This lawyer explains that the case was extensive, and the total file has over 10,000 pages.

- I was the only one representing my savers, and I am the only one who submitted the application against all successor states. In my case, no one else directly participated as a representative, neither from associations nor anyone else who is now actively appearing in the media, but well, that's how it is – Mujčin added.

Mujčin considers the day the final verdict was delivered the greatest victory of his career, resolving the existential issues for a large number of people.

- It doesn't happen every day that you win such a big case, because there are over 300,000 people affected by this problem, something over 300,000 euros is the claim without interest, so it is evident that there are many people whose existence has been resolved by this verdict. With this verdict, the money is safe – Mujčin added.

He further notes that he believes it will be in everyone's best interest for the verdict to be implemented as soon as possible.

- The procedure for implementing the verdict, in addition to the one-year deadline, also provides for other solutions to the problem, and I am working on that and intend, as a representative, to take a constructive part in ensuring that everything is implemented legally and efficiently. At this moment, after we have a legally binding court ruling, it is in the interest of both the states and the savers to resolve everything as soon as possible. I have a message for the people that their money is now safe and cannot be lost, and I advise them not to sell their savings under any circumstances, because usually, until now, it has all gone for next to nothing. And I would now advise people to look at everything carefully, because this is a pilot ruling and it resolves the issue for all savers, and I believe they do not need any representatives or assistants and to give money – Mujčin added.

Incidentally, starting Monday, Mujčin will be available in his office from 11 AM to 1 PM and from 5 PM to 7 PM for all savers who need advice or assistance.