POSKOK questions Supervisory Board members over Statute amendments: Is the current Airport Management being favored for a new appointment?

(Patria) - In early October, members of the Supervisory Board of JP International Airport Sarajevo were summoned to the premises of the Special Department for Combating Corruption, Organized Crime, and Inter-Cantonal Crime of the Federal Prosecutor's Office (POSKOK) for questioning in an investigation.

Thus, Supervisory Board member Adil Halilović was summoned to appear at POSKOK premises on October 1st to give a statement.

In the Official Gazette of FBiH 70/25 of September 12th, a decision was published whereby the Government of FBiH gave its consent to the adoption of the Decision on Amendments and Additions to the Statute of JP International Airport "Sarajevo" d.o.o. Sarajevo. The Government of FBiH held an emergency session on September 9th, and at the same session, the Government authorized Tomislav (Mile) Stapić to, as proxy, represent the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 95th session of the Assembly of J.P. International Airport "Sarajevo" d.o.o. Sarajevo, which was held on September 10th and at which the amendments and additions to the Statute were adopted.

The decision in the Official Gazette of FBiH did not specify the amendments to the Statute, which opened the door for suspicion. Even the members of the Trade Union of JP International Airport Sarajevo are not aware of the Statute amendments.

International Airport Sarajevo issued a statement on October 13th regarding media reports about the Poskok investigation. Besides explaining the procedure for adopting the Statute amendments, they did not deny the claims that the conditions to be met by the Director of JP International Airport Sarajevo and the executive directors have been changed.

"We also emphasize that the claim that POSKOK entered the premises of J.P. International Airport Sarajevo is not true. Based on the order of the Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton, certain documentation was requested, and everything stated in this order was immediately provided," it was published on the Airport Sarajevo website.

The Statute amendments were timed a few months before the expiration of the current one-year term of the Management. The Supervisory Board appointed the new Management at the end of last year, and the one-year term began on December 5th, 2024. The Company's Management consists of: Sanin Ramezić, acting director of the Company, Amadeo Mandić, acting executive director for traffic, and Slobodan Kadijević, acting executive director for airport development, i.e., personnel from NIP, SDP, and Our Party.

The members of the Supervisory Board are: Benjamin Mešak, president, and Adnan Mahmutović, Vlado Džoić, Žan Matić, Adil Halilović, and were appointed by the Government of FBiH for a four-year term in February 2024.

Portal Faktor reported during September that the Statute amendments relate to changes in the conditions for the positions of director and executive directors. Thus, the company director no longer needs to have experience in air traffic, nor a degree in mechanical engineering, nor five years of experience in air traffic.

Also, the executive director for traffic can have an economics degree, but does not need experience in the field of airport operations, including at least three years in aircraft and cargo handling and dispatch, and an instructor's license for handling and dispatch.

The director for traffic does not need to have knowledge of the English language in the scope of their duties.

Furthermore, the executive director for airport development should have a seventh level of education and can have an electrical engineering or civil engineering degree, but does not need knowledge in the field of architecture and urban planning, nor five years of experience in management positions.

Since the new Management of MAS was appointed, pressure has increased to grant the Airport under concession.

The Minister of Transport and Communications of BiH, Edin Forto, visited the United States this week, where he held a meeting with Alfonso Garcia Mora, Vice President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, with whom he also discussed public enterprises.

"We must not allow ourselves to continue lagging behind the region and Europe. Public enterprises are often inefficient, without a clear development vision. It is time to rely on public-private partnerships and open space for private capital that can bring new jobs, better infrastructure, and faster growth," stated Minister Forto, reminding that public-private partnerships (PPP) are officially recognized as a priority in the European Union's Growth Plan, which requires BiH to introduce the PPP model in the management of at least one of the four international airports in the country, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH.