Ministry of Economy of Sarajevo Canton Refutes Claims

The Ministry of Economy of Sarajevo Canton has responded to an article published on August 6, 2017, titled "Employees of the Sarajevo Forest Directorate Warn of Million-Dollar Crime in This Company," and points out that based on field assessments, dozens of inspection reports, and monthly and annual reports from the Forest Directorate, this ministry has learned that approximately 30,000 m3 of timber is illegally felled, originating from private or state-owned forests.

Based on the aforementioned findings regarding illegal logging in the Municipality of Hadžići in 2016, this ministry initiated activities to replace forest rangers in their respective areas in order to prevent illegal logging and other unlawful activities in forests and on forest land.
Conscientious and distinguished forest rangers from the Centar Department (Municipalities of Vogošća, Stari Grad, Novi Grad, and Centar), the Ilijaš Department, and the Trnovo Department were supposed to be assigned to Hadžići, taking into account the proximity of their place of residence and road access to Hadžići (e.g., the Krivoglavci – Vlakovo highway).
By replacing the forest ranger areas, we intended to assess the situation and the extent of forest damage, as the replacement of ranger areas mandates a formal handover report, where the condition of forest compartments and damages are inspected on-site and documented in a report, based on which legally prescribed measures would be taken. However, due to appeals filed with the Civil Service Agency against the Decisions on assignment to new areas, by individuals who did not want the situation on the ground to be recorded and the true factual situation to be determined, the replacement of forest rangers was not realized.

Since some forest rangers failed to perform their duties as prescribed by the Law on Forests of Sarajevo Canton, meaning they did not adequately, timely, and conscientiously protect forests and forest land, or disciplinary charges were filed against them based on a series of negative reports on the established factual situation on the ground by the forest inspection, they were evaluated with negative marks for their work in 2015 and 2016.

Taking into account the reports from the forest inspection and a number of other findings from the field, this ministry will, based on detailed checks and documentation of the factual situation on-site, i.e., in the forest and on forest land, initiate disciplinary proceedings, misdemeanor, and even criminal charges against employees of the Forest Directorate who fail to sanction individuals engaged in illegal logging or allow individuals to carry out unlawful activities in the forests of Sarajevo Canton.

As Almir Tanović is mentioned in the text, it is necessary to emphasize that the said individual was the Head of the department for the Municipality of Hadžići for many years until April 2017, i.e., the direct supervisor of the forest rangers against whom investigative proceedings are underway and who have been suspended in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Civil Servants pending the conclusion of court proceedings, and whose work he was supposed to directly supervise and control.

Namely, the alleged guardian and protector of natural resources, as a manager, was supposed to take timely action within his jurisdiction to prevent illegal logging or deforestation, but he consciously or unconsciously failed to do so. In order to protect forests and better organize the work of forest protection, as well as to better perform a number of other professional activities, according to the new Rulebook on Internal Organization of the Ministry of Economy of Sarajevo Canton, Mr. Tanović Almir has been assigned to the position of Expert Advisor for Forestry, while Mr.sci Samir Fazlić has been assigned to the position of Head of the "Zapad" Department.