PROFIT CASE: Unioninvest and VRADIS Investicije Merger with Loan Annulment

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In the trial of the "Profit" case, where 18 individuals are accused of organizing a group that illegally acquired property benefits of approximately 30 million marks from 2006 to 2014, a witness for the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office stated that the company "VRADIS Investicije" repaid a loan using funds from "Unioninvest" loans that were not repaid.

Aida Fazlagić, who accepted Adnan Terzić's offer in 2007 and started working at "SA Investment," said that their headquarters were in Ciglane and that their premises were empty. She stated that, despite having no work experience, she accepted the offered director position, and that Terzić told her which documents to sign during working hours.

Prosecutor Lejla Kurtanović presented a document on the establishment of "VRADIS Investicije," to which the witness confirmed that her data was on the document but that she did not remember being offered a job there or signing that document. Kurtanović presented another document from the bank containing Aida Fazlagić's signature, to which the witness said she remembered going to the bank but thought it all related to "SA Investment."

When asked by the defense, the witness stated that she did not remember ever entering a notary's office for any signature and that she was never forced into anything.

Senada Hadžialić, who was employed in an accounting agency owned by Kasim Mujan in 2003, said that Zijad Blekić was the founder of the brokerage house "Eurohouse." She added that in 2008, on Mujan's orders, she began keeping the books for "VRADIS Investicije" and that she performed this work from the premises of "Eurohouse" because all the documents were there.

She said that the owner of "VRADIS Investicije" was Muharem Bajrić, Zijad Blekić's driver. She stated that she communicated about "VRADIS Investicije" with Edin Dizdar because Mujan told her to.

Hadžialić recounted that in 2008, "VRADIS Investicije" took out a loan of several million from "Fima banka," and that, as she recalls, it involved the sale of shares through the brokerage house "Eurohouse." She said that there were loans from "Unioninvest" to "VRADIS Investicije" worth around 15 million convertible marks.

She said that the loan was repaid from the loans, and the loans were not repaid.

When asked by prosecutor Samir Selimović, the witness said that in 2009, on Mujan's orders, she kept the books for "Unioninvest," where Nermana Šehović was the director at the time, and that she communicated with Dizdar about the books. She added that "VRADIS Investicije" merged with "Unioninvest."

"When we took over, as far as I remember, and I might be wrong, there were 18 million in the account," said Hadžialić, explaining that on January 1, 2009, she found that sum of money in "Unioninvest's" account.

When asked by the prosecutor if it was known where that money came from, the witness said she thought it was from the sale of "Unioinvest's" land. She stated that there was a merger agreement between "Unioinvest" and "VRADIS Investicije" and that she was told that the loans would be annulled.

She recalled that "Unioninvest" changed from a joint-stock company to a limited liability company, but she did not know the reason, and that Muharem Bajrić became the owner at that time. The witness said that the owner of "Eurohouse" was Armin Mulahusić and that "Eurohouse" provided loans of 200,000 convertible marks to the company "Zdravlje."

The main hearing was adjourned after several breaks due to the deteriorating health of the accused Smiljka Jusufranić. The court panel ordered an expert examination of the accused and informed those present that the findings would be submitted and that the expert would be summoned to the next hearing.

As previously announced by the Prosecutor's Office of Sarajevo Canton, the indictment charges Zijad Blekić, Edin Dizdar, Armin Mulahusić, Daver Halilbegović, Hasan Ćelama, Muharem Bajrić, Ramiz Bibić, Naser Daca, Jasmin Jusufranić, Smiljka Jusufranić, Branislav Petrović, Mirsad Imamović, Edin Muftić, Elma Mulahusić, Edina Halilbegović, Azra Blekić-Aydogan, Hamdija and Husein Zvrak with organized crime, abuse of position, money laundering, and fraud in business operations.

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

The continuation of the trial is scheduled for March 23.