Director fired worker because he is charged with robbery and drug dealing, Court orders his reinstatement

The Municipal Court in Velika Kladuša ordered the management of the company Airvent from Velika Kladuša to reinstate one Mirsad Kekić, after the company management gave him notice in 2011, because the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office charges Kekić with participating in a robbery in Slovenia.

The Prosecutor's Office also charged Kekić with connections to drug trafficking. And drug production. SIPA arrested him a few years ago also for possession of larger quantities of explosives. 

Nermin Alešević, director of Airvent, an Austrian company for the production of cooling devices operating in BiH, told the news agency Patria that he fired Kekić in 2011, after he had to testify in Kekić's case, before a court in Slovenia. He testified at the request of Interpol.

- All of this damaged the reputation of my company, and me as a director. I did not want such a worker to continue working in my company and I fired him. I think any manager would have acted in the same way – said Alešević for Patria.

- Kekić is accused of stealing welding machines in Slovenia, and then allegedly selling them in BiH. Why would I keep such a man among my honest workers – said Alešević.

After being fired, Kekić sued the company Airvent. He demands reinstatement. And payment of salaries for the period he did not work. The court in Velika Kladuša ruled at the beginning of the year in favor of Kekić. The company Airvent is obliged to pay him just over 27,000 KM in salaries, over 9,000 KM in pension and disability insurance contributions, and 2,100 KM in court costs.

The lawyer of Mirsad Kekić, Husein Mušić, told Patria that there are indictments against his client, but no verdict, and that no one is guilty until proven otherwise.

- According to earlier legal solutions in BiH, for a company to fire you from work, you must be in prison for six or more months. If you are sentenced to less than six months, the employer cannot give you notice – says Mušić.

New legal solutions in FBiH state that the employer can give notice if you are sentenced to three months or more.

Alešević accuses the Municipal Court of being corrupt and that he cannot allow Kekić to return to his company. He announced that he will seek justice also before international courts, writes Patria.