Witness in Bosna Case: I Heard About the Employment Problem in the Accused's Office

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At the trial for abuses in employment in public companies, a witness of the Cantonal Prosecutor's Office said that in the office of the executive director of “Elektrodistribucija” Esed Džananović he heard that there was a problem regarding employment, Birn reports.

Senad Salkić, executive director for capital investments of “Elektroprivreda”, said that he met Džananović in the management, that they had a very professional cooperation and a correct relationship, but that from time to time there were disagreements between the accused as executive director and the directors of the “Elektrodistribucija” branches in Bihać and Tuzla.

The witness said that in the summer of 2016, he was in Džananović's office at a meeting with the accused and the director of the Tuzla branch of “Elektrodistribucija” Mahir Nurkanović, where they talked about employment and that he heard the name Škaljo for the first time then.

- In my opinion, as I understood, the problem was that the branch director had certain difficulties in hiring that man, that there was resistance in the local community in Tuzla, that the guy is not from the Tuzla Canton and that candidates from other cantons should not come. That is what Nurkanović said as well - said the witness and added that Nurkanović also said that Mirsad Kukić was demanding that candidates from the Tuzla Canton be accepted.

The Prosecutor's Office presented the witness with a statement from the investigation in which he stated “that Esed very rudely objected why Škaljo was not ‘finished’”, as well as that Nurkanović said that this should not be resolved directly, but that a competition should be announced, which the witness considered possible.

The witness added that he later spoke with Nurkanović and that at one point he stated that he would leave his position because it was very difficult for him, and that Džananović called him and asked if he had discussed this topic with the director of “Elektrodistribucija” Tuzla.

Džananović's defense presented the witness with several documents stating that the candidate Amel Škaljo was proposed by Nurkanović, but Salkić said that he had not had the opportunity to see them before, nor did he know anything about that employment except what he heard in the accused's office.

Amir Zukić, Safet Bibić, Nedžad and Senad Trako, Ramiz Karavdić, Asim Sarajlić and Džananović are charged with illegal mediation in employment in public companies. Kukić was also charged with them, but the proceedings against him were separated.

Adil Osmanović testified that he was the deputy chairman of the personnel commission of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) which in 2016 proposed candidates for directors in public companies in the Federation of BiH, including “Elektroprivreda”, and that the party was allocated four director positions.

- The Cantonal Board of the SDA Sarajevo proposed Džananović for the executive director of ‘Elektrodistribucija’, while the proposal from Tuzla was Almir Andelija. Apart from the expertise of the candidates, we must also take into account regional representation, and in that case we would have three directors from Tuzla. To my knowledge, Džananović was not in a bad position in the Tuzla Canton either - Osmanović pointed out.

He explained that the then president of the Cantonal Board of the SDA Tuzla, Mirsad Kukić, put all his cards on Nevada Ikanović to become the general director of “Elektroprivreda”, but in the end he was proposed for the executive director for development in this company, while Andelija, according to Osmanović, was only proposed pro forma.

Osmanović noted that the personnel commission conducts and sends proposals with the names of candidates, but that the party has no influence on the competition procedure, and that it happened that the proposed persons did not pass.

He added that Džananović's proposal did not require a recommendation from Amir Zukić, nor was he ever a member of the personnel commission.

The trial continues on September 10.