ANALYSIS New coalition in FBiH composed of individuals suspected of million-dollar crime

Leader of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) Bakir Izetbegović, after failing to secure a parliamentary majority in the Federation of BiH, brought parties into power whose leaders are accused of million-dollar crime, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

However, there is still no majority in the House of Peoples of the FBiH, while in the House of Representatives of the FBiH, with a narrow majority of 50 votes, no one can afford to get sick. Otherwise, all proposed decisions and laws will fail.

In addition to SDA and HDZ BiH, the new parliamentary majority in the Federation now includes the Party for BiH (SBiH), A-SDA, and BPS-Sefer Halilović. The coalition was agreed upon at the end of July this year, after SDA needed a parliamentary majority to support the new Labor Law in the Federation of BiH.

The leaders of all three new coalition parties are suspected of million-dollar crime, abuse of office, and other malversations in the country's social life, which is why the parties they lead had practically ended their political careers, after which Izetbegović "revived" them at the end of July this year by bringing them into power.

New federal coalition formed at the end of July this year (Photo: Patria)

Amer Jerlagić, leader of SBiH, was under investigation in 2012 for abuse of office. Three years ago, the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Sarajevo initiated pre-investigative proceedings based on a criminal complaint against Jerlagić and several other individuals for abuse of office and authority, as well as other criminal offenses to the detriment of "Elektroprivreda BiH" (EPBiH) and the FBiH.

The prosecution suspects that Jerlagić, former general director of "Elektroprivreda", caused multi-million losses to this company due to electricity sales contracts signed in 2009.

At the beginning of 2009, Jerlagić signed a contract with Vuk Hamović's EFT and the company "Alpiq" for the sale of surplus electricity. These companies agreed in the tender to buy electricity at the then market price of 80 euros per megawatt-hour. They undertook to purchase surplus electricity at these prices throughout the year. However, due to the economic crisis in 2009, electricity prices on the world market dropped drastically, so foreign buyers EFT and "Alpiq" asked EPBiH to reduce the amount of electricity delivered at high prices from August 1st of that year.

Due to these harmful contracts, Elektroprivreda BiH suffered huge financial losses. Jerlagić stated that the contract he signed was the only correct decision he could have made at the time, and therefore he does not feel guilty.

Sefer Halilović, former general of the Army of RBiH, who entered politics after the aggression against BiH by founding the BPS – Sefer Halilović party, is suspected of illegally withdrawing money from the ministries for veterans' affairs, financing projects led by his friends or associates.

Thus, the Ministry for Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton paid about 200,000 KM to the account of the Foundation "Pravednost" from Sarajevo, although the money was originally intended for the defense of former members of the Army of RBiH, who are accused of crimes against the Serb population committed in the Hadžići area.

During that period, the Minister of Veterans' Affairs of Sarajevo Canton was a minister from Halilović's BPS party, Faid Hećo, while the "Pravednost" Foundation was led by Medina Delalić (BPS), who was also located at the same address as BPS at Ćemaluša 6/2 street in Sarajevo.

Sefer Halilović's property card, published by the Center for Investigative Journalism, states that Halilović owns land in the most beautiful part of Herzegovina in Blagaj, as well as a house, the location of which is not specified, but the value of the real estate is stated to be over 230,000 KM.

Halilović's apartment is estimated at a value of 120,000 KM. Halilović's other assets are not listed in this card.

The leader of A-SDA, Nermin Ogrešević, is linked to illegal activities in Cazin, where critics there accuse him of rigging tenders and illegally allocating funds from the Municipality of Cazin budget. Ogrešević is the mayor of this municipality. SDA brought this local party into federal government overnight.

Rifet Hozanović, former secretary of A-SDA and one of its founders, was sentenced to two years in prison and a three-year ban from any public activity for abuse of office as the head of the humanitarian organization Merhamet.

The crimes committed by members of SDA and HDZ BiH, the leading parties in the Federation of BiH, are the subject of several investigations at all levels in BiH, writes Patria.