Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of BiH fined 5,000 KM for conflict of interest

(Patria) - The State Commission for Deciding on Conflict of Interest fined Nikola Čiča, director of the Anti-Doping Agency of BiH, 5,000 KM at its last session for holding this position and simultaneously being the president of a non-governmental organization funded by the budget. Transparency International in BiH filed a report against him because he was at the head of the HKD Napredak association, which in 2023 alone was funded by the Federation of BiH budget with 340,000.00 KM while he held public office.

The Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest at the state level clearly prohibits officials from leading non-governmental organizations funded from any level of government in the amount exceeding 20,000 KM or 70,000 KM for associations in the field of culture and sports. A conflict of interest was established for him at the end of last year when he was asked to resign, and since he did not, the Commission imposed a fine of 5,000 KM.

However, the question remains whether this sanction will have an effect if Nikola Čiča continues to control a state agency with a budget of around 870 thousand KM and an association that receives hundreds of thousands of KM from various levels of government. Conflict of interest in the financing of non-governmental organizations with state money is quite widespread, and a recent study by TI BiH published on the Odgovorno.st platform showed that politics controls over 2000 associations funded at the entity and state level. Therefore, the legal prohibition that exists in the state law is important, and it should also be reminded that conflict of interest in this area was recently legalized in the Republika Srpska, after TI BiH reported former advisor to Milorad Dodik, Milan Tegeltija.

In addition to the case of Nikola Čiča, the state Commission for Deciding on Conflict of Interest considered several other important cases at its last session, which were also initiated based on reports from TI BiH.

There is no majority to impose sanctions against the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers of BiH

At the session, the Commission Department's proposal to establish a conflict of interest in the case of Robert Vidović, who was also reported by TI BiH for holding incompatible positions, was not accepted. Namely, Vidović simultaneously holds the public office of Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers of BiH, and the public office of a member of the Management Board of the Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investments in BiH.

The issue on which there was no agreement among the Commission members was whether Robert Vidović was appointed to the position in the Agency's Management Board ex officio, i.e., whether membership in this Management Board is considered a public function, and whether the Council of Ministers of BiH should have appointed someone who does not hold a public office.

The Commission has not responded to Vidović's request for an advisory opinion sent over a year ago regarding holding these two positions. The next session will decide on the suspension of proceedings and the advisory opinion regarding Robert Vidović's request.

In the case of Faruk Kapidžić, who was reported by TI BiH for holding the position of member of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of BiH, and at the same time holds the position of representative in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton, it was determined that he submitted a request for dismissal from the Commission, but it was never accepted. The proceedings continue because the Commission is seeking additional checks and information on whether he received compensation after submitting the request for dismissal. The same decision was made in the case of another member of this commission, Zoran Mikulić, who was reported by TI BiH because, in addition to being a member of the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of BiH, he simultaneously holds the position of representative in the Assembly of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.