Godfather, Building, and 100 Million: System Collapse in Three Acts

By: Amina Čorbo-Zećo

If key state institutions – parliament, judiciary, and competent authorities – failed to stop the illegal and highly contested purchase of the Indirect Taxation Authority building of BiH, it is clear that those who carried it out will not be sanctioned.

In the charades of the Trojka (NIP, SDP, Naša stranka) where they entertained the public with stories about ousting SNSD from power, this ruling party from the RS slowly and surely realized its plans. Precisely thanks to the vote of the NIP president Elmedin Konaković at the Council of Ministers session, this corrupt deal was enabled to be realized, and an additional 30 million KM was allocated for the building!

This case not only exposes the system's helplessness but also confirms that political agreement and interest have overpowered the law and public interest.

The Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, headed by Zoran Tegeltija, purchased two buildings from the company „Grand Trade“, owned by Mile Radišić, the godfather of Milorada Dodik, for almost 100 million KM. Although the initial budget was estimated at less than 40 million, over the years and with multiple annulled tenders, the figure has risen to almost three times that amount.

And, to make everything clear, this has been going on for years because this deal was not allowed in previous years, precisely due to suspicions that the deal was pre-arranged, meaning the crime is as clear as day. However, this was not enough for the new rulers who were rushing towards the EU, and on that path, they were fulfilling Dodik's wishes by blocking things, so that he, through his representatives, would have mercy and vote for some of Brussels' requests. No one cared about BiH.

The buildings were constructed according to the specifications of the ITA itself, and in the end, „Grand Trade“ appeared as the sole bidder. The public procurement process itself, the overall context, and the connections between the actors speak for themselves, while institutions, including the Authority itself, remain silent or claim 'everything is according to the law'.

The Parliamentary Assembly of BiH did adopt a conclusion calling for the withdrawal from this purchase, but without legally binding force. This once again confirmed that institutions, without clear mechanisms of coercion and sanctions, remain powerless against political and interest-based agreements.

Anti-corruption organizations, economic analysts, and journalists have been warning for weeks that this is an example of blatant abuse of public funds, favoritism, and disregard for procedures. However, the judiciary, on which the key responsibility lies in such cases, remains passive.

This is not just a controversial legal or budgetary case; it is a message. A message that multi-million public procurements can be pre-arranged, realized against the will of parliament, and that no one bears responsibility. A message that institutions are there to follow, not to decide. And a message that almost anything is possible in Bosnia and Herzegovina if you are close enough to power.

If even this purchase, with all its clear indicators of irregularities, does not lead to a reaction from the judiciary and sanctions for those responsible, the question is, what then can?