Police summon Kruščica residents for questioning over opposition to mini-hydropower plant construction

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central Bosnia Canton is summoning residents who oppose the construction of mini-hydropower plants on the Kruščica River for questioning, multiple residents from this village near Vitez confirmed to Patria agency.

The Ministry has also confiscated private weapons from several residents, despite them having valid documentation.
Muris Đelilović told Patria agency that he spent more than three hours at the Ministry being questioned, after which criminal charges were filed against him, qualifying him as the leader of citizens disrupting public order and peace.

“They are trying to portray us as a group of criminals, not as honest and decent citizens who are defending their country precisely from the attacks of those whose intentions are not honorable,” said Đelilović.

Four Kruščica residents have already been fined a total of 1,200 KM for opposing the construction of mini-hydropower plants.
Kruščica residents have been blocking the construction of mini-hydropower plants on the Kruščica River for days, as it is an area of exceptional natural beauty, as well as a water protection zone that supplies the largest part of Zenica.

"The authorities are trying to intimidate us with the help of the police. We tell them they will not succeed," said Đelilović. 

A few days earlier, the Special Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Central Bosnia Canton broke up protests using force, but the residents have not given up on their rights even after that.

The dispute between the residents of Kruščica and the investors has been ongoing for years. Đelilović accuses the former SDA mayor Advan Akeljić of granting concessions for some of the most beautiful parts of their village to the company HIGRACON d.o.o. Sarajevo.

“The story about the construction of two mini-hydropower plants on the Kruščica River began during the term of Mayor Vlado Alilović. He did not want to grant concessions on the Kruščica River at that time, despite immense pressure from the SDA to do so. When Alilović left office, the river was granted under concession by the SDA mayor Akeljić, and the current authorities continue to support the project,” said Đelilović.

The media previously reported that there are serious indications that the director of the Development Bank of FBiH, Salko Selman, is behind the construction of mini-hydropower plants on the Kruščica River. Selman has not confirmed nor denied this news.  

The director of the Sarajevo-based company Higracon, which is building these mini-hydropower plants on Kruščica, is Armin Hadžialić. Hadžialić is, according to the portal Vijesti.ba, citing a highly informed source, the brother of Sabahudin Hadžialić, who was Selman's advisor when Selman was the Prime Minister of the Central Bosnia Canton. Selman's family already has experience with mini-hydropower plants. The name of the Development Bank director Selman has previously been linked in the media to illegal activities.