SUSPENSIONS AND EXPIRED MANDATES Legal chaos at Sarajevo Airport, the company has no one to run it

(Patria) - Since this morning, Sarajevo International Airport has no one in charge. There is no responsible person. The acting director Sanin Ramezić has been banned from performing his duties by the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The acting executive directors' mandates expired at midnight. Three of the five members of the Airport Supervisory Board have been banned from performing their duties, so this management body also lacks a quorum to hold a meeting at which it could, possibly, appoint acting management, reports Istraga.ba

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not hold an emergency session after the decision of the Supreme Court of the FBiH on measures banning the acting director and three members of the Supervisory Board from performing their duties. Therefore, one of the most important companies in the Federation of BiH has been in a legal vacuum since this morning.

On Friday, December 5, the Supreme Court of the Federation of FBiH, at the proposal of POSKOK, ordered measures banning three members of the Supervisory Board of JP Sarajevo Airport, Benjamin Mešak, Adnan Mahmutović, Žan Matić, and the acting director Sanin Ramezić from performing their duties. On the same day, December 5, the Government of the Federation of BiH made a decision to give prior consent for the extension of the acting mandate of director Sanin Ramezić and executive directors Amadeo Mandić and Slobodan Kadijević. However, in the afternoon, a measure banning Ramezić from performing the duties of director was imposed, so he cannot be the director of the Airport while the decision of the Supreme Court of the FBiH is in force.

Furthermore, the fact that the FBiH Government gave “prior consent” for the appointment of executive directors does not mean that Amadeo Mandić and Slobodan Kadijević can continue to perform the functions of acting executive directors. Namely, the Government only gave “prior consent” for their appointment, and they must be appointed to the positions of acting executive directors by the Supervisory Board of Sarajevo International Airport. However, the Supervisory Board cannot hold a meeting because three of the total five members are banned from performing their duties, so a meeting of the Supervisory Board cannot be held at which, at least, acting directors or executive directors of the Airport could be appointed.

In February 2024, the Government of the Federation of BiH gave the Assembly of JP Airport prior consent for the appointment of five members of the Supervisory Board of this public company. At that time, Benjamin Meško, Vlado Džoić, Adil Halilović, Adnan Mahmutović and Žan Matić were appointed to the Supervisory Board. The chairperson of the Commission for the selection of members of this Supervisory Board was Arijana Huseinović-Ajanović, head of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić, who is currently under measures banning her from the Supreme Court of the FBiH due to the “spengavanje” case.

In November of the same year, the Government of the Federation of BiH gave prior consent to the Supervisory Board of JP “Sarajevo International Airport” d.o.o. Sarajevo for the appointment of acting members of the Management Board of JP “Sarajevo International Airport” d.o.o. Sarajevo, for a period of up to twelve months or until the completion of the tender procedure, for: 1. Sanin Ramezić, acting director of the Company; 2. Amadeo Mandić, acting executive director for traffic and air traffic services; 3. Slobodan Kadijević, acting executive director for airport development.

The decision made on November 19, 2024 was on the agenda of the Airport Supervisory Board on December 5, 2024. At that time, the Supervisory Board appointed Ramezić, Mandić and Kadijević as acting directors for a period “of up to 12 months”. Therefore, they could perform the duties of acting director and executive directors until no later than December 5, 2025.

Shortly before the mandate expired, the FBiH Government and the airport management began the process of amending the Statute of this public company in order to create conditions for Sanin Ramezić to be appointed director, i.e., to adjust the conditions for appointment to his qualifications. In the Official Gazette of the FBiH 70/25 of September 12, a decision was published by which the FBiH Government gave consent to the adoption of the Decision on amendments and supplements to the Statute of JP Sarajevo International Airport d.o.o. Sarajevo. The FBiH Government held an emergency session on September 9, and at the same session the Government authorized Tomislav (Mile) Stapić to, as a proxy, represent the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 95th session of the Assembly of J.P. Sarajevo International Airport d.o.o. Sarajevo, which was held on September 10 and at which the amendments and supplements to the Statute were adopted.

The decision in the Official Gazette of the FBiH did not specify the amendments to the Statute, which opened space for suspicion. Even members of the Union of JP Sarajevo International Airport are not familiar with the amendments to the Statute.

Sarajevo International Airport issued a statement on October 13 regarding media reports about the Poskok investigation, and apart from clarifying the procedure for adopting the Statute amendments, they did not deny the allegations that the conditions required for the director of JP Sarajevo International Airport and the executive directors had been changed.

As part of the POSKOK investigation, it was established that there is a reasonable suspicion that three members of the Supervisory Board and director Sanin Ramezić abused their positions to ensure conditions for this NiP cadre to become the Airport director. The Supreme Court of the FBiH ultimately, on December 5, 2025, issued measures banning director Sanin Ramezić and three members of the Supervisory Board from performing their duties. On the same day, the FBiH Government gave prior consent for the extension of the acting mandate for Ramezić and the executive directors. However, due to the POSKOK decision, the Supervisory Board could not hold a meeting, so the “prior consent” of the FBiH Government remained a “dead letter”.