Government Appoints Controversial Jakić as Director of Agency for Management of Confiscated Property

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The FBiH Government today dismissed Kenan Kapo from the position of Director of the Federal Agency for Management of Confiscated Property at his personal request. The Government also appointed Vinko Jakić as acting director of the same agency for a period of up to three months, or until the tender procedure is completed.

The controversial Jakić was previously the head of the Government's Foundation for Sustainable Development (OdRaz), which the Government shut down in 2016 due to huge debts.

OdRaz was an important foundation of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the implementation of development and other programs and projects in the FBiH, since 2001. The Foundation's goal was, among other things, to help small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the local community.

Programs implemented by OdRaz in the FBiH were financed by loans and grants from international institutions (World Bank, IBRD, EU), as well as from domestic funds (budgetary funds of the Federation of BiH, cantons, and municipalities).

The World Bank, in the period from 2001 to 2013, assessed OdRaz as one of the most successful foundations of this type in Southeast Europe. The Foundation annually managed projects with a total value exceeding one hundred million convertible marks.

The credibility of OdRaz was seriously jeopardized after Jakić was appointed director, after which the World Bank withdrew funds for projects, and the Foundation soon fell into debt, after which it was shut down.

Jakić came to the position of Director of the Federal Agency for Management of Confiscated Property from the office of the Federal Minister of Tourism, Edita Đapo, where he worked as an advisor, reports the Patria News Agency.