SDA Old Town on the (in)action of Irfan Čengić and Benjamina Karić: Lamps costing 300 KM paid 10,000 KM, and a camera costing 190 KM - 4,000 KM

(Patria) - The Municipal Board (OO) of SDA Old Town Sarajevo addressed the public on social media today, focusing on the (in)action of the current Mayor of Old Town Irfan Čengić and the Mayor of Sarajevo Benjamina Karić.

"Lamps costing 300 KM were paid 10,000 KM, and a camera costing 190 KM was paid 4,000 KM", stated SDA Old Town in their announcement.

"Irfan Čengić and Benjamina Karić paid 150,000 KM for the renovation of a park for which 35,000 KM was initially allocated.

The construction of new or renovation of existing children's parks is something that is urgently needed by the citizens of Old Town. We recognized this in our Program from the last Local Elections and announced one children's park/playground in each Local Community.

Precisely for this reason, we, as well as all other citizens, were pleased with the information that Mayor Čengić, in cooperation with Mayor Karić, after a year in office, finally implemented at least one such project in the Medrese Local Community.

However, when this children's park and the press conference of the Mayor and Mayoress took place a few days ago, we were shocked by its appearance and the information that the works cost over 150,000.00 KM.

Especially since the previous municipal administration had allocated only 35,000.00 KM for the same project in the budget.

After that, by simply reviewing the offer from the selected contractor, which is a publicly available document, we noticed a series of shocking prices for the executed works, the procured sports, children's and other accompanying furniture, as well as lighting and video equipment.

When we went to the site with experts, we determined that our suspicions were completely justified, but not only that, but that the park was even dangerous to use due to the unprofessionally executed and unfinished works, given that it is a children's park.

Below, we provide only some of the disputed items with photos that prove obvious criminal activity:

- Renovation and painting of the existing fence cost the citizens of Old Town and the City of Sarajevo as much as 20,000.00 KM, and even the handle was not installed on the entrance gate!



- A single video surveillance camera was paid 4,000.00 KM, and our market research found that its retail price is 190.00 KM, which is over 2000% or over 40 times more than the market price!



- Four lights, listed as floodlights, were paid 10,000.00 KM.
However, through simple market research, we found that the installed lights are from the manufacturer 'Brayton', and they cost 71.50 KM in retail.

Therefore, a total of four installed lights cost just under 300.00 KM, and were paid 10,000.00 KM!



- A basketball hoop, homemade, which is clearly not professional, cost 10,000.00 KM with installation;



- A small children's chair was paid 2,000.00 KM, and you can judge for yourself whether it is worth that much;



- The rubber surface, which cost over 30,000.00 KM, is already crumbling and can be detached from the surface by hand;



In addition to all of the above, although the cleaning of the site was invoiced, the children's playground was not cleaned.

A particular problem is the unfinished manholes in the middle of the children's playground, metal spikes protruding from the ground in several places, and sharp edges of the already cracked concrete retaining walls that were expensively paid for.



To make the absurdity complete, the children's playground cannot be accessed with a stroller!

And finally, for comparison, this "decorated" park of about a hundred square meters cost over 150,000.00 KM, while, for example, the recently opened largest park in BiH on over 1000m2 in Safet Zajko Center cost less than twice as much.

Or the Park on the Square of International Friendship in Novi Grad, built on 500m2 with a completely reconstructed sidewalk leading to it, cost approximately the same as this one in the Medrese Local Community.



We call on the supervisory body, and we have information that the selected supervisor did not give consent due to safety omissions in these works, not to succumb to political pressure, because this scandalous case, if there is a rule of law here, will certainly have its judicial epilogue.

Due to all of the above, we call on all competent institutions, judicial, police, and inspection, to react urgently, because we are convinced that this involves serious abuses of budget funds of the City of Sarajevo and the Municipality of Old Town, as well as endangering children's lives, for which we hold Mayor Benjamina Karić and Mayor Irfan Čengić solely responsible", reads the statement signed by the president of OO Old Town, Dženan Selimbegović.