Indictment Confirmed Against Zoran Kalinić and Others for Diploma Trafficking

(Patria) - The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed the indictment in the case against Zoran Kalinić and others, charging 15 individuals and six private higher education institutions with trafficking in higher education diplomas, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced.

The indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of BiH states that the individuals and legal entities are charged with associating for the purpose of committing criminal offenses, corrupt criminal offenses, and illegal trade involving several dozen higher education diplomas, mostly in economics, law, technical engineering, healthcare, management, and other educational profiles.

The accused legal entities, i.e., private universities, operated in the areas of Banja Luka, Mostar, and the Brčko District, and according to the collected evidence, at least 49 higher education diplomas were issued, the annulment of which will be sought in the legally prescribed procedure, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH previously announced.

The accused are Zoran Kalinić (70), who was the rector of the Independent University of Banja Luka; Dragan Ilić (40), who was a co-owner of the College of Applied and Legal Sciences "Prometej" in Banja Luka; and Vladimir Stojanović (59), who was engaged as acting rector of the University of Modern Sciences CKM Mostar and director of the "Union" College in Mostar. All are under restrictive measures imposed by the Court of BiH.

Also accused are Dragan Đuranović (58), who was the rector of the University of Business Engineering and Management PIM Banja Luka; Denis Pračić (57), who was employed at the "Union" College in Mostar as a manager and at the University of Modern Sciences Mostar and is under restrictive measures imposed by the Court of BiH; and Mirko Tufegdžija (62), employed under a service contract at the University PIM Banja Luka and is under restrictive measures.

The statement adds that the accused also include Ljubiša Todorović (43), who was employed at the "Prometej" College in Banja Luka and CKM University Mostar and is under restrictive measures imposed by the Court of BiH; Dragan Golijan (71), who was a professor at Victoria International University Mostar, the legal successor of the University of Modern Sciences CKM Mostar; and Vaso Pajić (80), who is under restrictive measures imposed by the Court of BiH.

Also accused are professor emeritus at PIM Banja Luka Vojislav Škrbić (78); Goran Lalović (56); and Dušan Perić (60), who was employed under a representation contract with the Independent University of Banja Luka, and all are under restrictive measures imposed by the Court of BiH.

An indictment has also been filed against Senad Sinanović (72), Ljubinko Dobraš (61), and Miodrag Tepić (57).

For these criminal offenses, the Independent University for Political and Social Sciences NUBL Banja Luka, the College of Applied and Legal Sciences "Prometej" Banja Luka, and the University of Business Engineering and Management PIM Banja Luka, Brčko branch, are also accused.

An indictment has also been filed against Victoria International University Mostar, the legal successor of the University of Modern Sciences CKM Mostar, the "Union" College Mostar, and the International University in the Brčko District.

The Prosecutor's Office of BiH and the Agency for Investigation and Protection of BiH have gathered evidence that individuals who illegally purchased diplomas participated very little or not at all in the educational process at higher education institutions, and for the purchase of illegal diplomas they most often paid amounts of several thousand euros.

The committed criminal offenses have caused great damage to the higher education system in BiH, and citizens have also been endangered by the actions of individuals with illegally obtained university diplomas.