First-instance verdict: Sarajevo businessman Zijad Blekić sentenced to 13 years in prison

(Patria) - Sarajevo businessman Zijad Blekić has been sentenced to 13 years in prison by a first-instance verdict of the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo for millions of convertible marks in share fraud, money laundering, and organized crime.

Besides him, the Court found 11 other defendants guilty in the "Profit" case.

Edin Dizdar was sentenced to eight years, Daver Halilbegović to six, Armin Mulahusić to 13, Jasmin Jusufranić to 10, Mirsad Imamović to three, Muharem Bajrić to seven, Ramiz Bibić to five, Naser Daca to three, Hasan Ćelam to five, Edina Halilbegović to three, and Elma Mulahusić to three years in prison.

In June 2021, the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo confirmed the indictment of the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office against 19 individuals in the "Profit" case.

In addition to Blekić, indictments were filed against Edin Dizdar, Armin Mulahusić, Daver Halilbegović, Hasan Ćelam, Muharem Bajrić, Ramiz Bibić, Naser Daca, Jasmin Jusufranić, Smiljka Jusufranić, Branislav Petrović, Mirsad Imamović, Edin Muftić, Alen Murguz, Elma Mulahusić, Edina Halilbegović, Azra Blekić Aydogan, Hamdija Zvrko, and Husein Zvrko.

All defendants were found guilty. They were charged with organized crime, abuse of position, money laundering, fraud in economic operations, and other offenses.

They are accused of organizing a group from 2006 to 2014 that illegally acquired property benefits of approximately 30 million convertible marks through fictitious share purchases, capital market manipulation, and siphoning money through fictitious legal transactions.

Zijad Blekić was one of the first individuals in Bosnia and Herzegovina to trade shares.

The investigation in the "Profit" case began back in 2010. Among the main suspects were businessman Blekić, former president of the Securities Commission of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Hasan Ćelam, and Blekić's associate Edin Dizdar.

The indictment against Blekić and others was preceded by a complex investigation by the KS Prosecutor's Office in cooperation with the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), which began in 2010.

The court, during the investigation phase, and at the proposal of the KS Prosecutor's Office, blocked more than seven million convertible marks that were in the accounts of the suspects and their companies.

In the indictment, the acting prosecutors proposed the confiscation of property benefits acquired through criminal activity in the amount of several million convertible marks.