Family company of SDA Delegate Mirza Celik won a public sector contract!

Although a delegate in the Assembly of Sarajevo Canton, Mirza Celik (SDA) left the position of director in his private company 'Telefongradnja' two years ago (after he had been elected into the Assembly) he is still in a direct conflict of interest.

As an assembly delegate, Mirza Celik has got enough power and influence to help his family company win tenders and public contracts.

Only from public company 'Park', Celik family cashed in some 300,000 KM for maintenance of street-lighting in Canton Sarajevo last year.

The company Telefongradnja was founded in 1983 in Sarajevo by Mirza's father Rasim Celik. Mirza took over running of the company in 1997. After Mirza had been elected in the Cantonal Assembly, Edin Prljaca became company director.

Registry of private companies

Father and son Celik get the main jobs from public company 'Park'. Although Park neither has the capacity nor competence for maintenance of the street-lighting in Sarajevo Canton, the Government of this canton has been giving them the jobs for several years now, which may suggest that we have another politics-meets-business type of deal in the Canton.

Due to the lack of capacity, 'Park' has to select and engage subcontractors. That would not be problem after all if it was not for the fact that 'the best bidders' also don't have the capacity and know-how for the job in question!

One of those subcontractors is Telefongradnja that is registered for sectors such as telecommunications and IT, PTT networks, optical roads, civil engineering and project documentation.

Our source from 'Park' reveals that a tender from February this year was annulled by 'Park' because a company from Tuzla participated with a better  bid than Celik's 'Telefongradnja' for the maintenance of street-lighting in Ilijas, Vogosca, Trnovo and Hadzici. Tender has been repeated and results are yet to become public.

For example, in Banja Luka, street-lighting is done by companies specialized for that type of work – Mig elektro from Mrkonjic Grad, Elektroobnova, ABC Solutions.

In Sarajevo, street-lighting is in the hands of companies that do not have any related experience and skills. 'The expert company' is the one directly related to SDA delegate.

3.6 million KM earned through BH Telecom contracts

Besides 'Park', the main source of income for Celik family for some time was public company BH Telecom controlled by his political party SDA. No wonder they were winning all relevant tenders.

Official web page of Telefongradnja informs that family Celik earned over 3.6 million KM by working with BH Telecom in the period 2003 – 2009. Interestingly, there are no other job references.

Once in governing board, always in governing board

Before his coming to the Cantonal Assembly, SDA appointed Mirza Celik to the position of President of Assembly of public company Toplane and three years later he was already presiding Assembly of public company Marketplace.