Novalić and Milićević Hand Over Development Bank to Fejzić: How Are Loans Distributed and To Whom?

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Semir Fejzić (SDA), acting CEO of the Development Bank of FBiH, had his mandate expire last November. The responsible minister Jelka Milićević  (HDZ BiH), as well as the Prime Minister of the Federation, Fadil Novalić, have done nothing to ensure this significant financial institution has a legal head.

As we learn, Fejzić's dismissal is not in sight in the foreseeable future, and the FBiH Government's lack of interest in resolving this issue benefits Fejzić. It is incomprehensible that Novalić and Milićević keep an acting head with an expired mandate at the helm of the Development Bank.

Semir Fejzić was appointed acting CEO for the period until the tender procedure was completed, but which was never carried out.

During this time, he works at full capacity as if he were the director. Loan approvals are proceeding smoothly, and sources from the Development Bank emphasize that the FBiH Government's lack of interest in this significant financial institution is deepening the problems.

Thus, a loan is being prepared for the company BATAT-AGR d.o.o. Glamoč. And behind this company stands Gojko Kličković.

Gojko Kličković is a former controversial politician, a member of SDS. In the 2012 local elections, he was elected mayor of the municipality of Krupa na Uni. He served as Prime Minister of Republika Srpska from May 18, 1996, to January 31, 1998. In 2013, the Appellate Chamber of the Court of BiH acquitted Kličković of charges for crimes committed in 1992 in Bosanska Krupa; he spent 1,385 days in detention.

However, his role in BATAT was revealed in the contract for the purchase of buckwheat signed with the company Dettrade-Invest from Croatia.

The document, which Patria has in its possession, is signed by Gojko Kličković as director for BATAT-AGR and Ksenija Detelbach as director for Dettrade-Invest. What is strange about all of this is that in the Business Entities Register in BiH, the director and founder of BATAT is Valentina Krčmar. It is also suspected that BATAT is only fictitiously registered in Glamoč.

 

For the purpose of obtaining this loan, BATA also requested a letter of recommendation from the municipal mayor Nebojša Radivojša, and the mayor signed the recommendation on December 3 last year. The letter states that BATAT has a project to cultivate buckwheat on 100-200 hectares.

The problem with obtaining this loan is that an insurance company needs to secure it, but the documentation, according to Patria's sources, is questionable.

Precisely from this example, and there are others, it is necessary for the FBiH Government, led by Novalić, to resolve Semir Fejzić's status as soon as possible. According to Patria's sources from the Development Bank, Fejzić is acting arbitrarily, especially in the segment of the Guarantee Fund, which was established by the FBiH Government within the Development Bank of FBiH. Therefore, the indifferent attitude of Milićević and Novalić is surprising.

The fact that Fejzić is facing a court case in Tuzla speaks to his questionable status.

Namely, the Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton filed an indictment against Fejzić for the criminal offense of abuse of authority in business operations, committed as the director of the Bosnian Cultural Center (BKC) Tuzla from the beginning of 2012 to May 2015.

The indictment accuses Fejzić of violating the provisions of the Law on Budgets in FBiH and the relevant by-laws during this period, and of holding and using unauthorized funds from the income generated by BKC Tuzla from rental of premises, organization of events, or one-time hall rentals.

The TK Prosecutor's Office stated that investigations determined that Fejzić instructed employees not to deposit such income, amounting to approximately KM 47,000, which was never recorded in the business books of BKC as own income, into the deposit account of public revenues of the TK budget, which was a legal obligation of the budget user.

Money from such generated income, which was not paid into the unified treasury account, was used for various needs of BKC Tuzla. In this way, the institution acquired unlawful property benefits in the aforementioned amount, and the budget of Tuzla Canton was damaged. The FBiH Government will have to react urgently for the sake of the reputation of the Development Bank, as well as for the businessmen whom this bank is supposed to serve.