Emir Hrenovica gave me an ultimatum: Either I become a member of NSRzB or I will no longer be director of Neretva

Senad Osmanagić, director of the state-owned company „Neretva“ from Sarajevo, will file a lawsuit on Monday morning at the Municipal Court in Sarajevo against the Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton, Emir Hrenovica, because, he says, Hrenovica falsely accused him of criminal activity in the only state-owned company in BiH producing orthopedic aids, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

During the weekend, Hrenovica blamed director Osmanagić in the media for Neretva's poor business performance. He accuses him of obstructing the recovery process of this company, which experts consider promising, together with Damir Čardžić from the People's Party for Work and Betterment (NSRzB).

Neretva Sarajevo has been operating with difficulty for several years. The company, which has been producing orthopedic aids for over 60 years, suffered its biggest blow at the beginning of December this year, when the Municipal Court in Sarajevo sold Neretva's only production building in the city center to lawyer Šaban Spiljko for only 270,000 KM, even though it is worth at least five times that amount.

Senad Osmanagić, director of Neretva, confirmed in a statement to the Bosnian news agency Patria that his lawyer will file a lawsuit against Minister Hrenovica on Monday morning, because, he says, Hrenovica accused him of criminal activity with which he, Osmanagić, has no connection.

- Since I was appointed director of Neretva in February 2012, I have repeatedly called, in writing, on the prosecutor's office and the police to conduct an audit of the company's operations from the end of the aggression until today. But that procedure was never initiated - says Osmanagić. It is clear, he says, that only a man who is sure he is not involved in criminal activity can call on the prosecutor's office and the police.

Osmanić believes that the whole story about Neretva was well staged much earlier. When workers sued the company in 2010 for unpaid wages and other obligations, the Court duly delivered the lawsuits to the defendant Neretva. However, the company's management at the time failed to respond to the Court's lawsuit, after which the Municipal Court in Sarajevo ruled in favor of the workers.

- This is an already tested procedure, through which powerful people come into possession of state properties for small amounts of money. Hrenovica first insinuates himself among the workers, incites them, and in that way weakens the entire system. His next step regarding Neretva will be to persuade the workers not to allow the Neretva management access to the building. He wants to completely eliminate us so that the remaining properties can be sold very quickly - says Osmanagić.

He warns that he also has written evidence that he repeatedly asked Hrenovica, as Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton, to help with Neretva's recovery, but that help was mostly absent.

- Besides Neretva, Hrenovica is destroying PD Butmir, ZOI 84, the Veterinary Station of Sarajevo Canton, and several other public companies in Sarajevo using the same principle.

Osmanić claims that Emir Hrenovica gave him an ultimatum in his office two years ago: either he becomes a member of NSRzB, which proposed Hrenovica for the position of Minister of Economy of Sarajevo Canton, or he will be removed from the position of director of Neretva. At that meeting, says Osmanagić, Damir Čardžić, the party's vice-president, was also present, writes Patria.