SDP BiH files criminal complaint over FDS share sale

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Bosnia and Herzegovina today filed a criminal complaint against the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Fadil Novalić, his deputy and Minister of Labour and Social Policy Vesko Drljača, and the former acting director of the Privatization Agency of FBiH Drago Vrbić, N1 reports, carried by Patria.

As stated by SDP Presidency member Zoran Mikulić at a press conference, the reason for this is "illegalities and lack of transparency in the privatization of 39.9 percent of state ownership in the Sarajevo Tobacco Factory".

According to the explanation in the complaint, the Prime Minister and the Minister influenced the decision-making of the FBiH Government regarding the method of privatization of the Tobacco Factory.

The determined minimum starting price for the sale of shares is 83.50 percent, and the nominal value is 100 KM, claims the SDP.

- Since the title of the ownership share belongs to the Federal Parliament, not the Government, the Parliament should have been consulted when making the decision on the sale, which was not done - Mikulić also said.

The head of the SDP Caucus in the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament, Elvir Karajbić, who also addressed the press conference, called on the leadership of the House to schedule an extraordinary session on the sale of the Tobacco Factory by September 30.

- A request to convene such a session has already been sent to the leadership of the House of Representatives, Karajbić said.