BUDGET ELVES Karić smiles, Puharić misleads, while Kraljica gets rich on exclusive Ganacci in absence!

By Rasim Belko @rasimbelko

It seems that the Social Democratic Party is running out of credible and quality staff, even when they appoint staff temporarily. One of the examples is the acting mayor Predrag Puharić, who, with a smile on his face in an interview for TVSA (aired January 6), misleads the citizens of Sarajevo by concealing the truth about something he himself did not participate in.

When asked by a journalist what happened to the funds paid from the budget of the City of Sarajevo for the New Year's performance of Salvatore Ganacci, who withdrew from it, Puharić tells us with a smile: "An annex to the contract was made, the contract value was changed, the money along with VAT was returned to the budget of the City of Sarajevo, there is nothing controversial about it," explains Puharić.

You can watch the deception from the TV screen HERE

However, little about the organization of the New Year's party in Sarajevo was not controversial.

The fact that Puharić is not telling the truth is shown by a document from December 4, signed by Assistant Mayor Elvir Hadžiahmetović, which states:

"The City of Sarajevo received a notification on 31.10.2024 from Kraljica d.o.o. that the previously contracted performance by DJ Salvatore has been cancelled.



After consultations within the City Administration of the City of Sarajevo, it was concluded to proceed with finding a new solution for the missing DJ. Kraljica d.o.o. was asked for recommendations for DJs who could be of the same or better preference than DJ Salvatore.“

Kraljica d.o.o. responded with an act dated 08.11.2024 with proposals for replacement as well as proposals for assessing the references of DJs, listing certain music platforms... We noticed Tobias Topić. It was not observed that he performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He performed at the significant regional festivals Exit and Sea Dance...“

Therefore, instead of an annex and returning funds, a replacement was sought, even though Kraljica d.o.o. was chosen through a negotiated procedure without prior publication because it offered exclusivity for Severina and Ganacci.

According to the contract, the exclusivity of this company was based on bringing the world-renowned DJ Salvatore Ganacci and regional star Severina. However, after Ganacci canceled his performance, the company did not return the funds to the budget but engaged a replacement performer without conducting new public procurements.

Kraljica company claimed from the beginning that it had the exclusive right to engage Ganacci and Severina, which was the key to awarding the contract. However, the cancellation of Ganacci's performance showed that the contract did not have clearly defined guarantees for exclusivity. According to the BiH Public Procurement Law, changing the performer is not allowed without a new procedure, but in this case, Kraljica company unilaterally engaged a replacement DJ, Tobias Topić.

Documents show that 90% of the total contracted amount was paid in advance, and after the cancellation of Ganacci's performance, the funds were not returned to the budget of the City of Sarajevo. The entire procedure was conducted non-transparently, with clear indications that public procurement procedures were violated.

The signatory of the contract was the then Mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, who, according to available information, was aware of the circumstances of the contract conclusion. The contract was concluded prematurely, months before the performers were formally confirmed.

According to the data, this contract is among the most expensive for New Year's celebrations in Sarajevo, far exceeding the costs of performances by other regional and international artists.

This is more than clear when we compare Severina's concert in Split for New Year 2022, which cost only 150,000 KM, while the total budget for the Sarajevo celebration in 2025 reached a staggering 716,000 KM.

Legal experts point out that it is necessary to investigate whether those responsible in this case knowingly violated legal procedures. This cannot be justified by procedural errors. If funds were withheld illegally, it means that the budget and citizens of Sarajevo were directly harmed.

It is interesting that the City of Sarajevo has not yet published an official statement regarding this case, while Kraljica d.o.o. has not responded to media inquiries. However, the public demands answers – who will compensate for the damage and why were public funds used in such a questionable manner?

The fact is that Puharić is not telling the truth, which is a practice installed in the City Administration by his predecessor and party colleague Benjamina Karić, who, in the last year of her mayoral term, generously opened her purse, and the result was ultimately absent again, even though they are trying to fascinate and deceive us with numbers about a successful reception.

Given the amounts, obviously questionable procedures, and behind-the-scenes machinations, it is clear that the judiciary of Sarajevo Canton has an easy task in investigating the organization of the New Year's 2025 reception. The question remains whether Puharić will also appear in some capacity in that case, given that he is knowingly misleading the public.

The citizens of Sarajevo deserve the truth, not manipulations and half-truths that are served to them. Every unjustified spent penny from the city budget is one less penny for projects that should improve the quality of their lives.