Nedžad Bubica and professors of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo acquitted

(Patria) - The Cantonal Court in Sarajevo acquitted all defendants in the "Urban" case, which included, among others, professors from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the "Istraga" portal has learned.

The Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office accused them of association for the purpose of committing criminal offenses, abuse of position or authority, abuse of assessment, and construction without a permit.

As a reminder, the indictment included Nedžad Bubica, Fahrudin Oručević, Narcis Behlilović, Irfan Turković, Kenan Softić, Enes Begović, and Lamija Maglić-Stajić.

All of the aforementioned were arrested in November 2016, when the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office conducted an operation codenamed "Urban". A month later, an indictment was filed against them on suspicion of committing criminal offenses of association for the purpose of committing criminal offenses, abuse of position or authority, abuse of assessment, and construction without a permit.

"The Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office accused them that, in the period from 2011 to 2014, with the intention of providing financial gain to the company 'LAKE', owned by Nedžad Bubica, they concluded a contract for the renovation of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering building, which was slated for demolition, without a public procurement procedure. The works cost the company 'LAKE' about three million marks without charge. At the same time, in return, Nedžad Bubica was promised land of approximately 5,000 square meters, valued at 7.4 million KM. Through their joint actions and the commission of these criminal offenses, they damaged the budget of the Sarajevo Canton by about 4 million marks," the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office announced at the time.

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo owns a multi-million mark plot of land located in Marijin Dvor. Since 1997, there has been a struggle to acquire this valuable land near BiH institutions. The company LAKE, owned by Nedžad Bubica, brother of Jusuf Bubica, former minister in the Sarajevo Canton Government, signed an agreement with the then management of the Faculty four years ago, according to which it would gain ownership of this multi-million mark land if it renovated the Faculty of Electrical Engineering building within the Campus.

Those who made this decision in 2012 were members of the so-called working group, which included, among others, the former SDP minister of education in the Sarajevo Canton Government, Fahrudin Oručević, the dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Narcis Behlilović, and the vice-dean, Irfan Turković.

Respecting the agreement, the company LAKE renovated the faculty building, but the promised land in Marijin Dvor did not become the property of Nedžad Bubica. The Legal Affairs Office of the Sarajevo Canton became involved in the entire case, which did not give its consent for the land to be registered in his name.

They claimed that the property belonged to the Canton, not the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and that the contractor for the faculty building was chosen illegally. Furthermore, the Legal Affairs Office claimed that the commission did not have the right to dispose of the land, on which Nedžad Bubica planned to build the Hilton hotel.

However, the prosecutor failed to prove the allegations in the indictment, and the professors and businessman Bubica were acquitted of responsibility. The verdict is not final, and the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office has the right to appeal.