Zukić and Others Trial: Witness Describes How He Gave Up Paying for Employment

Before the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, the trial of SDA Secretary General Amir Zukić and seven other defendants for multiple criminal offenses continued today, reports the Patria agency.

Before the Court today, witnesses for the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor's Office, Ibrahim Garić and his son Mensur, as well as Adil Modrić, all from Banovići, testified.

Ibrahim Garić, an employee of RMU Banovići, spoke about the attempt to employ his son Mensur in the spring of 2016 by the defendant Ramiz Karavdić.

- I came to the agricultural pharmacy in Banovići to see Adil Modrić. During our conversation, he mentioned a solution for how I could get my son a job. Adil gave me a slip of paper with Ramiz's name and phone number. I knew Ramiz by sight, as he had worked as a postman for a long time, and I paid some bills through him - said Ibrahim Garić at the beginning of his testimony.

Ibrahim Garić stated that immediately after leaving Modrić's shop, he called Ramiz Karavdić and informed him of the situation, and they spoke again later when Ibrahim arrived home.

- I called him from the home phone in the presence of my son Mensur. The speakerphone was on, so he could hear the entire conversation. Ramiz told me it was a permanent job at Elektroprivreda and that 19,000 KM was needed for employment. I said that was not a problem - said Ibrahim Garić.

After the conversation ended, Ibrahim's son Mensur sent Karavdić his educational background information via message. Two months later, Mensur gave up on the job.

Ibrahim emphasized that two months after the initial contact, they were working in the field when Ramiz Karavdić called several times, telling Mensur to bring documents to the Astra café in Banovići, but Mensur said he was giving up on everything.

- After the first contact, I immediately searched online to see where that job advertisement was. However, since I found nothing, I realized it might be a scam, because it was unclear to me how someone could get a job in such a serious company without a competition. That's why I decided to give up - said the second witness, Mensur Garić.

The third witness for the Prosecutor's Office, Adil Modrić, explained how the contact between Garić and Karavdić occurred.

- I have known Karavdić for a long time, first as a postman, and then as a customer at my agricultural store. As far as I know, Ramiz had an orchard, so he bought some materials from me. On one occasion, Ramiz asked me if I knew a good electrician for a job; I remembered Garić and told him about them - Modrić recounted.

Witness Modrić said he does not remember giving Garić a slip of paper with Ramiz Karavdić's contact, while the Garićs stated they received the contact from Modrić. The Prosecutor's Office showed the Court a slip of paper with Ramiz's phone number, which Ibrahim Garić had given to the Prosecutor's Office during his statement on February 28, 2017.

The defense of the defendant Mirsad Kukić requested that, due to his poor health, he be tried separately from the rest of the group; a decision will be made by the next hearing.

We remind you that the indictment charges Amir Zukić, Safet Bibić, Nedžad and Senad Trako, and Ramiz Karavdić with conspiracy to commit criminal offenses related to accepting a reward or other form of benefit for influence peddling and illegal mediation.

The indictment states that during 2016, Zukić and Bibić organized a group that was joined by Nedžad and Senad Trako and Ramiz Karavdić, who found individuals willing to pay money for employment in branches of Elektrodistribucija, which belongs to JP Elektroprivreda BiH. Subsequently, using their influence through Esed Džananović, then director of Elektrodistribucija, who is charged with abuse of position, illegal employments were carried out.

The same indictment charges Asim Sarajlić and Mirsad Kukić, vice-presidents of the SDA, with accepting a reward or other form of benefit for influence peddling, while Zukić is also charged with illegal possession of weapons.

The continuation of the trial is scheduled for September 18.