Companies founded by Radončić suspected of evading 11 million KM in taxes

(Patria) - The Prosecutor's Office of BiH has transferred the case against Avaz d.o.o. and other related companies founded by Fahrudin Radončić to the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Sarajevo. The case concerns the evasion of direct taxes in the amount of approximately 11 million marks and was formed based on the findings of the Tax Administration of the Federation of BiH.

"On November 15, 2021, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH forwarded the mentioned case to the KS Prosecutor's Office for processing in the report stage against several individuals. Certain checks will be carried out," the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Sarajevo announced for Istraga.

Among the reported individuals are several directors and responsible persons who managed the companies founded by Radončić, and the most prominent name is Fehim Škaljić, a former SBB representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH.

In 2018, the Tax Administration of the Federation of BiH conducted a business audit of Avaz d.o.o., then the company Avaz-roto press, and other related companies, and it was determined that through suspicious bookkeeping, these companies had evaded about eight million in direct taxes, while the final debt, including default interest, amounts to 11 million marks. Following the findings of the Tax Administration, these companies filed an appeal with the Federal Ministry of Finance, but the HDZ minister Jelka Milićević, as the second-instance authority, has not yet made a final decision in this case. In the meantime, the documentation was forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina for processing, and prosecutor Merisa Nurkić was assigned to the case. However, even in that institution, which was recently headed by prosecutor Gordana Tadić, who is close to HDZ and SBB, no prosecutorial action was taken for three years. Only after Gordana Tadić was dismissed from the position of Chief Prosecutor did her successor, Milanko Kajganić, decide to move things forward. Given that these are direct taxes, Kajganić transferred the case to the jurisdiction of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office in Sarajevo.

Information about the findings of the Tax Administration of FBiH in Avaz and related companies was published by Slobodna Bosna three years ago. The founder of Avaz at the time stated that the Tax Administration conducted this audit "on political orders," and the legal representative of Avaz, Almina Pilav, also reacted to the matter.

"In the article claiming that the 'Avaz' group evaded 11 million KM, the only accurate statement is that the Tax Administration of FBiH conducted a control of the business operations of the companies in the 'Avaz' group for several months. It is very interesting, and it has been pointed out before, that the control followed after the wife of the director of OSA, Mr. Osman Mehmedagić, questioned on her Facebook profile why the Tax Administration is bypassing Tešanjska 24a in Sarajevo, which is the address of Avaz. Even more indicative is the fact that Tax Administration officials were sent to Avaz after the SBB ministers in the FBiH Government refused to vote for the appointment of Mr. Šerif Isović to the position of director of the Tax Administration of FBiH, without the simultaneous appointment of his deputy, as prescribed by law," wrote lawyer Pilav.

Almina Pilav declined to comment on the specific claims of Slobodna Bosna, citing "the Law on the Tax Administration of FBiH, which stipulates in Article 3, Paragraph 4, what constitutes tax secrecy.".

Avaz's tax secrets were soon taken over by the Prosecutor's Office of BiH. The then Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadić immediately received coverage in Avaz and other Radončić's "proxy media," where she was hailed as the "goddess of justice." In return, the "tax secret" of the company founded by Fahrudin Radončić remained deeply buried in the drawers of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH. However, after Gordana Tadić's dismissal, the case "saw the light of day.".