Bečarević reports irregularities at Sarajevogas: What is Marjanović and Lemezan's role in the director change?

(Patria) - Minister of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection Almir Bečarević sent a public letter and request for answers to the Supervisory Board of KJKP Sarajevogas regarding the change of director of this company, for which consent was not sought from the KS Government and the relevant ministry.

Bečarević also filed a report with the KS Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management, stating that the change is a "subject of political corruption" and part of the agreement on the reconstruction of the KS Government.

"According to the documentation I received, the current director of KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo submitted his resignation as director of the Company on 07/25/2023, and the Supervisory Board of this company accepted it at a session held on the same day, appointing an acting director whose mandate should begin on 09/01/2023.

Now I want to publicly ask the Supervisory Board of KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo several questions, for which I also seek public answers, and from which we will see how the procedure was carried out. This ministry was absolutely not consulted about the mentioned procedure, nor was it informed in any way about the resignation, nor about the appointment of the acting director. I ask the SB of KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo to publish on what criteria and from whom they received the name for the appointment of the acting director. The job systematization stipulates that the director of the Company must have a good knowledge of the domestic and international natural gas and energy market, and knowledge of the development trends of the energy sector, the energy market, and the natural gas market.

Since this is the most significant energy company in KS and given that according to the Company's Statute, the director of the Company must have 8 years of experience in the profession, I kindly ask the SB to inform me where this expertise in the field of energy or gas industry is in the specific appointment.

I am asking the SB, in relation to Article 4 of the Decision on Dismissal, on what basis the current director's rights in managing the company were limited, given that he is registered in the court register as a director without limitations.

Since this is a Supervisory Board directly controlled by cantonal representative Damir Marjanović, I kindly ask the SB to inform me whether representative Marjanović submitted the name for the acting director or if some other representative in the KS Assembly did.

As the Minister of the Ministry of Communal Economy, Infrastructure, Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection of KS, I made remarks on the work report of KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo, and I communicated this to representative Marjanović, but I also received remarks on the director's work from representative Marjanović, with the remark that the director would go "willingly or by force". I interpret the resignation as an act of "willingly", not "by force".

At the same time, I want to inform the public and the Canton Sarajevo Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management that this ministry will annul the approval for the employment of 4 workers at KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo, given that these are the result of representative Marjanović's requests, in which I, as the relevant minister, also had an offer to add whomever I wished for the employment of workers, as the Company requested consent for the employment of 8 workers indefinitely.

Four positions were dictated by Mr. Marjanović, and the reason why I allowed these four employments at the Government session, as well as the reason why I refused to propose "my people", will be explained to the Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management when they call me.

The appointment of directors and management structures in cantonal public utility companies should be a transparent process, through which people will be appointed to these positions whose work would improve the development process and business of these companies, and not be a product of political bargaining and political corruption, because this change happening at KJKP Sarajevogas d.o.o. Sarajevo was not approved by the KS Government, nor by this ministry, and it was announced through the media as bargaining in the function of entering power by "independent" representatives, and where trading of these positions was obviously happening even before any change of majority.

I ask the Company's SB to provide me with public answers, and to also submit them to the Canton Sarajevo Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management.
I am ready to testify immediately in the KS Office for Combating Corruption and Quality Management about all of the above and my knowledge of this political bargaining, as well as the dictation of job positions.

In conclusion, I believe that this is not the path to a better environment, but a path backwards, and a high-ranking foreign official stated a few days ago, I quote: "NO GOING BACK".