Open Secret in Krajina: Lipovača is Charged with Numerous Criminal Offenses

The detachment of the Federal Police Administration in Bihać conducted an extensive investigation against the Prime Minister of Una-Sana Canton (USK) Hamdija Lipovača last year, after which a criminal complaint was filed with the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office of USK regarding illegal business operations and spending of public funds from his time as the mayor of Bihać, writes the Patria news agency.

Among other things, Lipovača is charged with abuse of position or authority and forgery of an official document, in connection with the criminal offense of deception.

According to information obtained from the FUP, Lipovača, while he was mayor, signed an addendum to the basic contract and a contract for construction works in Bihać worth over one million marks on behalf of the Municipality of Bihać, contrary to the Law on Public Procurement of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2007, he entered untrue data into an official document on behalf of the Municipality regarding the execution of additional works. We unofficially learn that this refers to the construction of the Emerald Bridge.

With the annex to the contract signed by Lipovača, the construction cost of the bridge increased by 300,000 KM.

It is an open secret in Bihać that the contractors of large projects worked on his private properties, and that his wealth significantly increased while he was mayor and then prime minister.

This is only one of the criminal offenses Lipovača is charged with, and at the time when the media wrote about investigations against him, including the City Square, Una Bank, and the construction of the STENS sports center, he categorically denied everything.