Nikšić enabled BBI Bank to earn around two million KM in just one day at the expense of the Federation

(Patria) - On just one contract with the Government of the Federation of BiH, BBI Bank, linked to NiP personnel, will earn two million marks, Istraga.ba reports.

Namely, the Government of the Federation of BiH sold its claims against the Public Enterprise Elektroprivreda HZ HB to BBI Bank.

The Government claimed 4.1 million euros from Elektroprivreda HZ HB, and these claims have now been assigned to BBI Bank for 6.1 million marks.

The discount excluding VAT is 1.7 million marks. When taxes are calculated, the Federation will be short by about two million marks.

"The Bank (BBI) takes over the entire unmatured claim of the assignor (Government of FBiH) from Article 3.2 of this Contract, which claim is reduced by the amount of the claim maturing on December 6, 2024 (161,290.32 euros), amounting to 4,193,548.40 euros, and undertakes to pay the assignor a monetary amount of 6,183,456.33 marks for the purchase of the claim, which is reduced by the agreed discount."

This is stated in the contract signed on December 9, 2024, by the Government of the Federation of BiH, represented by Finance Minister Toni Kraljević, with BBI Bank and the Public Enterprise Elektroprivreda HZ HB.

What is this about?

In May 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded a contract with the European Investment Bank for the electricity distribution project in BiH.

The state of BiH, in fact, represented the Federation of BiH, i.e., the Public Enterprise Elektroprivreda of the Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna. The loan was to be repaid by Elektroprivreda BiH, with a monthly installment of about 160 thousand euros.

Elektroprivreda HZ HB regularly settled these obligations. However, after the current convocation of the FBiH Government, imposed by High Representative Christian Schmidt, "devastated" the budget of the Federation of BiH, the need for financial manipulations arose.

Thus, Nermin Nikšić, together with his associates from HDZ BiH, came up with the idea that the FBiH Government should take over the repayment of the remaining 4.1 million euros (about 8.1 million KM), and sell its claims against the actual debtor, Elektroprivreda HZ HB, for 6.1 million KM.

BBI Bank appears as the buyer of the FBiH Government's claims against Elektroprivreda HZ HB, with which a contract was concluded on December 9. BBI will thus pay 6.1 million KM to the account of the FBiH Government, while the Bank will collect 8.1 million KM from the Public Enterprise Elektroprivreda HZ HB.

The FBiH Government used the money (6.1 million KM) received from BBI Bank for regular budget spending, and in the future, it will repay the loan to the EIB from the budget until all 8.1 million marks are settled.

Thus, in just one day, the FBiH Government damaged the Federation by about two million marks in favor of BBI Bank. Because the Federation could have collected the claims from Elektroprivreda HZ HB through regular channels.

Namely, according to the semi-annual business report of EP HZ HB for 2024, this Public Enterprise achieved a profit of about two million marks. This means that EP HZ HB's profit at the end of 2024 should be around four million KM and that this public enterprise could have regularly repaid its obligations to the EIB.

However, Prime Minister Nikšić decided that the Federation should take over this loan, thus enabling BBI Bank to earn about two million marks in just one day at the expense of the Federation of BiH.