WE INVESTIGATED: Millions of Convertible Marks from Elektroprivreda BiH "Leak" to Zagreb!

In the Zagreb utility giant Holding, as many as 306 employees had forged educational diplomas. The most were discovered in ZET and Čistoća. Forged documents were obtained from educational institutions in Croatia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes Jutarnji list.

This is not the first time that diploma fraud has been discovered on the Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina route. Slobodna Bosna reported last year that several high-ranking managers in public companies in BiH obtained diplomas in Zagreb under very suspicious circumstances, specifically from prestigious technical faculties. A source for the Patria news agency explained that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina paid the price for these diplomas – professors from Zagreb faculties, who are also owners of IT companies, received jobs in Sarajevo in return. Specifically, in public companies from which their "students" came. This involves multi-million contracts, most often in the information technology market.

This practice, unfortunately, has not stopped to this day.

It is still common for Zagreb companies to win multi-million contracts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They establish daughter companies in BiH, and then through them, they secure jobs in the BiH market, pushing out domestic entrepreneurs who offer equally high-quality services.

- It can be said that some domestic politicians, with the help of associates from neighboring Zagreb, are extracting money from BiH public companies, although this money should remain in the country, for the needs of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina – says a Patria source from Elektroprivreda BiH, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

From this company, he claims, they also closely cooperated with companies from Zagreb.

For example, in the last few years alone, this source explains, the Zagreb IT company "b4b" has won several tenders in Elektroprivreda Bosne i Hercegovine, related to the implementation and maintenance of the IT system – SAP. The value of the contracts is estimated at several million KM. Elektroprivreda BiH confirmed to Patria that this public company has implemented four SAP projects so far, and that the company "b4b" from Zagreb worked on all four projects, but they do not want to elaborate further.

- The total value of these four projects amounted to approximately 11 million KM – stated Elektroprivreda BiH. Patria's sources within this state-owned company claim that the services provided to this Zagreb company were paid at several times the market price.

- Domestic companies could have done this for less money, but it was not in someone's interest.

It is indicative that Elektroprivreda BiH revealed to Patria journalists part of the contract related to the implementation of SAP in this public enterprise, but at the same time, they are hiding contracts regarding who maintains the system itself. Even a month after the inquiry, Elektroprivreda refuses to show these contracts, and they are also avoiding revealing the role that the company SAP West Balkans from Belgrade, as well as several domestic firms, played in Elektroprivreda BiH in relation to the SAP information system.

The SAP IT system is not only implemented in Elektroprivreda BiH. The expensive IT system, which allegedly speeds up and simplifies the operations of large corporations, has been implemented in several other public companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the University Clinical Center in Sarajevo and BH Telecom.

- Currently, two tenders for SAP system maintenance are open in Sarajevo. One was issued by Elektroprivreda BiH and the other by UKCS. The value of the project in both companies exceeds 200,000 KM – claims this source.

- And again, Zagreb companies are being favored – he adds.

TO BE CONTINUED...