PRESS RELEASES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Notice of change of address of the Office in Sarajevo

Press releases ● 13 April 2015

The Transparency International Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is from 09.04.2015. located at the new address:
Sarajevo office:

Mehmed – bega Kapetanovića Ljubušaka 4,
71000 Sarajevo

All previous contact details, except the address, remain unchanged.

The RS Special Prosecutor’s Office refused to act on criminal charges in the Bobar Bank case

Press releases ● 03 April 2015

Banja Luka, 03. April 2015 – Transparency International of Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) received a letter from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina concluding that no one has been charged with criminal charges filed by the RS Banking Agency against unknown persons for abuse of office and authority in Bobar Bank proceeds even though the applications were forwarded in December 2014. .

Namely, the District Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina informed TI BiH that they forwarded all the documentation to the RS MUP – Criminal Police Directorate – Unit for Suppression of Economic Crime, Financial Investigation and Money Laundering, but that they have not acted on it yet. We were also informed in the same letter that there are indications that this is an organized crime, and that is why the case was forwarded to the Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republika Srpska, which by an act of March 13, 2015. “The decision of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which is responsible for organized crime and corruption, is absolutely unclear, given that the Agency’s report referred to a large number of disputed loans signed by one person and used by another, and the disappearance of almost 10 million KM from the vault of Bobar Bank. Such crimes can in no way be viewed as the work of a lonely individual, but are very obviously classified as organized crime.

This only confirmed the claims of TI BiH that in the case of Bobar Bank there is organized evasion of responsibility of competent institutions which now refuse to act on criminal charges, although the District Prosecutor’s Office in Bijeljina confirmed that there are indications of organized crime. banks. The submitted letter from the Bijeljina Prosecutor’s Office shows the repeated practice of institutions to transfer responsibility and competencies to each other, which ultimately resulted in inaction.

Transparency International BiH believes that the latest information that none of the competent investigative bodies is currently determining responsibility in the Bobar Bank case further obliges MPs and members of the Finance and Budget Committee of the RS National Assembly to question Slavica Injac, director of the RS Banking Agency. It will turn out that despite all the indications of organized crime, responsible for the collapse of Bobar Bank, no one has even tried to establish responsibility in this case.
Press rls – 3 4 2015 doc
Answer Bijeljina District Prosecutor’s Office

TI BiH invites NARS Finance and Budget Committee to publicly hear Slavica Injac over Bobar Bank affair

Press releases ● 02 April 2015

Transparency International BiH (TI BiH) sent a request to the members of the Finance and Budget Committee of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska to propose a public hearing of the director of the RS Banking Agency, Slavica Injac, before this committee to determine responsibility in the Bobar Bank affair. As the Banking Agency, as the supervisory body of the financial system, is directly responsible for its work to the National Assembly, TI BiH emphasized that members of the Finance and Budget Committee should use the legally prescribed opportunity to invite Injac to a public hearing. interest and to understand the control, but also the democratic role of the legislature.

TI BiH reminds that Injac openly told the citizens, among other things, that they should control the work of banks, as well as that the Agency headed by her refused to provide the Final Report of the interim manager of Bobar Bank, and that citizens do not have any information about closures. Beaver Bank and the actions of the Agency in this case.

Public hearings and the formation of inquiry committees are a very common practice in democratic societies in situations where it is necessary to resolve a political affair of particular importance. The obvious damage caused by the closure of Bobar Bank and the suspicions created in the work of supervisory bodies, but also in the purposefulness of their existence, require the use of all available political means in order to determine responsibility. From the moment when the interim administration procedure was opened against Bobar banka ad Bijeljina, Injac’s irresponsible actions, unbalanced statements and persistent hiding of data from the public increased doubts about the legality of the RS Banking Agency, its personal competence, but also about concealing illegalities.

According to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly of the RS, it is necessary for one of the members to submit a proposal for a public hearing, and then to be supported by the majority of Committee members in order to hold a public hearing before the Committee. TI BiH proposes to provide a live broadcast of the public hearing of Slavica Injac, but also to enable the presence of as many representatives of civil society as possible at the hearing, so that the public finally gets an insight into the actions of the Agency.

If the Committee on Finance and Budget ignores the call of TI BiH, the absolute disinterest of legislators to supervise the work of public institutions and ensure the responsibility of their leaders towards citizens will be shown again.

Press rls – 2 4 2015 doc

TI BiH is Organizing Conference on Financing of Election Campaign

Announcements ● 29 March 2015

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) is organizing regional conference on Financing of Political Parties- Law and Practice. The conference is dedicated to transparency of financing of political parties and election campaigns and to comparison of experiences in this are from the region and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the conference, it will be presented the reports on 2014 General Election Campaign in BiH, and the results of the monitoring of the election campaign will be compared with the financial statement which political parties submitted to Central Election Commission. It will be discussed about recommendations for improvement of the legal framework with the aim of ensuring greater transparency of election campaigns and to prevent the abuse of public resources for campaigning.

Representatives of legislative and executive branches in BiH, political parties, Central Election Commission of BiH, civil society and the media from BiH, as well as representatives of Anti-Corruption Agency Serbia and organizations from the region that deal with monitoring of campaign financing are expected to participate in the conference.

The conference will be held on 30^th March 2015, with the beginning at 10.00 a.m. at the Hotel Europa in Sarajevo.

Request the extradition of Mile Radisic

Press releases ● 26 March 2015

Banja Luka, 26. March 2015 – Transparency International of Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on the competent institutions to request the extradition of Mile Radisic from Serbia on the basis of the Extradition Treaty between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia. March.

Namely, the Agreement on Extradition between BiH and Serbia, which was ratified in the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH last year, clearly states that BiH has the right to request the extradition of its citizens in order to serve a final prison sentence of at least four months. On the other hand, even taking into account the possible citizenship of Serbia that Radisic has, according to this Agreement, Serbia can extradite its citizens if they are sentenced to imprisonment for more than two .

Bearing in mind that Mile Radisic made it clear in his statements to the media that he was in Serbia, and that BiH and Serbia have an agreement on extradition, TI BiH sees no obstacles before the competent institutions to request extradition.

Otherwise, the institutions of the Republika Srpska will show that final verdicts do not mean the obligation to serve a sentence, and that individuals are free to avoid imprisonment, while setting ultimatums to the judiciary. Bearing in mind that the institutions have already proved incapable of keeping a person scheduled to serve a prison sentence in the country, unless extradition proceedings are initiated soon, and it will be publicly proven that power and ties to the government mean amnesty from any sanctions for criminal offenses, and that the top of the government protects legally convicted persons.

Press rls – 26 3 2015 doc

The Banking Agency refuses to submit the Final Report of the interim manager of Bobar Bank

Press releases ● 23 March 2015

Banja Luka, 23. March 2015 — At the request of Transparency International BiH, the Banking Agency of Republika Srpska refused to submit the Final Report on the course of the interim administration procedure against Bobar banka ad Bijeljina and its termination, with an explanation of the implemented measures of the interim administration procedure. Agency immediately after the end of the interim administration.

Since the end of the interim administration procedure, TI BiH has been insisting on the disclosure of the Final Report, and the Agency is the first 19. January 2015 informed TI BiH that the disputed Report was not finished, and the procedure of temporary administration over Bobar banka ad Bijeljina was completed on 23. December 2014 . After TI BiH continued to insist on submitting the Final Report, because only in that way can the public be informed about the measures taken, the RS Banking Agency refused to provide the Final Report, emphasizing that it is a business secret. TI BiH intends to initiate an administrative dispute regarding the Agency’s decision, bearing in mind that the Law on Freedom of Access to Information, ie the public interest in this case, was not taken into account, given the consequences caused by the sudden closure of a bank.

Also, the fact that it was first announced that the Report was not ready, and only then the Agency refused to provide it, raises suspicions that the interim administrator either never drafted a document with which he had to explain his work in detail, or this is just a way to cover up authorities, but also illegalities that have been suspected since the beginning of the Bobar Bank affair.

The Government of the Republika Srpska proposed amendments to the Law on Banks in 2013. years precisely for the purpose of more precise determination of the competencies of temporary and liquidation managers, but also for the purpose of greater supervisory powers of the RS Banking Agency. Thus, among other things, it is planned to compile the Final Report on the Interim Administration Procedure, from which it would be clear which measures have been taken and what their effect is. The RS Banking Agency voluntarily and without taking into account the Law on Freedom of Access to Information, which treats the publication of information of public importance as a rule, decided to declare the Report a business secret, thus denying the public information about all activities undertaken in the Bobar Bank case.

TI BiH believes that there is no valid reason to ban access to the Final Report of the interim administrator in the Bobar Bank case, and that its publication can only contribute to shedding light on the whole affair, while hiding information raises additional doubts about the legal work of the Banking Agency and interim administrator.

Press rls – March 23, 2015

The ITA employs persons convicted and under investigation for criminal offenses

Press releases ● 18 March 2015

The Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, through a competition announced in October 2014. employed two people, one of whom has already been convicted of tax evasion, and proceedings for organized crime are being conducted against her, while the other person, according to media reports, is one of the suspects in the Kemal Causevic case and others.

The condition in the Law on Work in the Institutions of BiH that no criminal proceedings have been initiated against the candidate for a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for three years or more or that no prison sentence has been imposed for a criminal offense with intent, in accordance with the BiH Criminal Code. When asked by TI BiH to the ITA regarding the employment of these persons, the ITA replied that the candidates submitted certificates that no criminal proceedings were being conducted against them, and that the disputed person was sentenced to probation, and that only imprisonment was a hindrance. for employment.

However, the first disputable fact is that the ITA in the competition asked the candidate to submit only a certificate of no criminal proceedings, and this certificate can not prove whether someone was sentenced for a crime, and should have required a certificate of impunity / conviction. issued by the competent police administration / station.

Secondly, according to the data received by TI BiH from the Court of BiH, a new criminal procedure is being conducted against the same person who was previously convicted, but at the level of BiH, for organized crime, and he attached a certificate from the Banja Luka District Court. it follows that no proceedings are being conducted before that court, ie. under the jurisdiction of that court and the RS Criminal Code, not the BiH law.

TI BiH also requested information from the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH on the investigation of this candidate in the case of another candidate, in connection with the case of Kemal Causevic et al. in which case this person could not be employed in BiH institutions, but has not yet received an answer.

This whole case, which was reported to TI BiH by an anonymous person, points to the lack of regulations and incoherence of the system in terms of data on the conduct of criminal proceedings and verdicts. More importantly, this example sends a worrying message to citizens that those under investigation and convicted have priority in employment, while other candidates, who also met the conditions and are not linked to crime, are denied employment.
Press rls – 18 3 2015 doc i

Without proactive transparency and a planned approach to employment in public administration

Press releases ● 13 March 2015

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH), in cooperation with the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN), presented at a conference in Sarajevo the findings of monitoring public administration reform in the field of human resource management and transparency, integrity and accountability.

The monitoring findings testify to the very modest results of public administration in the area of transparency, integrity and accountability. Information of public importance is accessed reactively, through requests for access, and the concept of proactive transparency is poorly known to institutions, which invest very little effort in better visibility and visibility of information.

Institutions do not have the practice of extracting and publishing budget data and budget execution data on their websites. Of the 20 institutions, only two (one from BiH and one at FBiH level) have adopted an integrity plan. In Republika Srpska, the very notion of an “integrity plan” is known in only one institution, which shows that there is still little to worry about in preventing corruption. On top of all that, a small number of initiated disciplinary proceedings have been recorded at all levels, which shows that repressive mechanisms do not function adequately either.

In human resource management, non-transparent recruitment processes remain a problem. The system of planning the needs for human resources is poorly developed – planning is on a quantitative basis, while the profile of the people needed is very little taken into account. Progress is visible in the field of analysis and classification of jobs, but the existing descriptions in their content and structure do not meet the needs of modern administration. The practice of monitoring and evaluating the work of employees has never been properly understood and then accepted by managers in administrative structures, which most clearly indicates the lack of managerial and leadership skills of those in management positions.

Lejla Ibranović, Acting Executive Director of Transparency International BiH, pointed out in her introductory address at the conference that the aim of the monitoring was to point out the concrete impact of activities and invested resources in reform processes, and that the findings show that reforms have not achieved adequate results, taking into account the resources invested in the past few years. “These findings of the report unequivocally indicate the need for a more serious and systematic approach to public administration reform, especially in the context of the obligations and requirements that the EU places before BiH in the process of enlargement and European integration,” Ibranovic said.

Mario Vignjevic, Program Manager for Public Administration Reform of the Swedish International Development Agency, which financially supported the project, pointed out that the key challenge remains resolving the coordination of reform processes and the will of actors involved in public administration reform. “Significant investments made in previous years by the Swedish government for public administration reform clearly indicate the commitment of the Swedish government to give all support to domestic authorities and institutions to make public administration more transparent, professional, efficient and beneficial to all citizens.” The monitoring findings presented today indicate the need for domestic authorities and institutions to take public administration reform very seriously. ”
Press rls br 2 – 13 3 2015 doc

The RS Ministry of Trade and Tourism is hiding information about Boska’s privatization

Press releases ● 13 March 2015

Transparency International of Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) considers scandalous the behavior of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism of the Republika Srpska, which is trying in every way to hide from the public the agreement on the privatization of the Boska Department Store.

TI BiH is 28. January 2015 he also received a lawsuit against the RS Ministry of Trade and Tourism precisely for failing to submit an agreement on the privatization of Boska and calling for the protection of confidential information without conducting a public interest test. The District Court in Banja Luka then ordered the Ministry to act on the appeal of TI BiH within 30 days, but the Ministry has not yet responded.

The explanation that the contract allegedly disappeared is a clear attempt by the Ministry to avoid acting on a court order and to hide information about the privatization of Boska from the public eye.

TI BiH reminds that proceedings for organized crime and corruption are being conducted against the main actors in the privatization of Boska in Serbia, which is why the public interest in publishing contracts is even greater, and calls on the RS Ministry of Trade and Tourism to act according to the law.

Press rls – 13 Mar 2015

TI BiH and CIN Present Findings on Public Administration Reform Monitoring

Announcements ● 12 March 2015

The representatives of CIN will present their findings on the financial privileges of the elected officials in BiH.

The conference is organized within the project “Public Administration Reform Monitoring- PARM”, financially supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and the Government of Denmark. The overall goal of the project is to contribute to better implementation of the Public Administration Reform Strategy and greater participation of civil society organizations in the reform processes with the aim of creating more transparent, efficient and effective public administration that would be useful to all citizens. Also, this project aims to indicate immediate and concrete impact of the implementation of the public administration reform, as well as to determine the progress of the implementation of the main goals of the institutional reform and public administration reform.

The conference will be held on Friday, 13^th March 2015, with the beginning at 10.30 a.m. at the Hotel Bristol in Sarajevo. The agenda is attached below. Statements to the media are scheduled for 10.15 a.m.

TI BiH and Open Knowledge Foundation are Organizing Round Table on ‘Open Data Readiness in BiH Institutions’

Announcements ● 26 February 2015

Sarajevo, 26^th February 2015 – The aim of the project is to exploit experiences gained by the NGO representatives, journalists and researches whose work focuses on transparency and accountability, and to share experiences and challenges in collecting data from the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially when it comes to collection of data pertaining to budget spending and employment within the Institutions of BiH.

The round table is organized within the project Open Data Readiness Assessment, supported by Ministry of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, whose purpose is to assess the current situation regarding the openness of government and to create the Action Plan that will include recommendations for improving transparency of public data in BiH.

The round table will be held on Friday, 27^th February 2015, with the beginning at 09:00 pm, in the UN premises in BiH, Zmaja od Bosne Street. The agenda is attached below. Statements to the media are scheduled for 09.15 pm.

TI BiH and Open Knowledge Foundation are Organizing Round Table on

Enable a transparent privatization process in the FBiH

Press releases ● 24 February 2015

Banja Luka, 24. February 2015 — Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) sent a letter to the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry of the Federation of BiH with a call for cooperation in monitoring the announced privatization of 14 companies in FBiH.

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is at 152. gave its consent to the Privatization Plan and the Financial Plan of the Privatization Agency in FBiH for 2015. year, where the plan covers the privatization of 14 companies, and TI BiH plans to be involved in monitoring the privatization process of these companies, in order to enable transparency of the entire process.

Given the damage done so far by non-transparent privatization agreements and the fact that subsequent privatization audits have not yielded results, it is important to take this opportunity to involve the public and civil society in privatization monitoring and contribute to more transparent and successful privatization of companies of strategic importance. FBiH.

TI BiH also mentioned that the public interest is greater in that there have already been attempts at privatization for some companies, and that in the case of Bosnalijek, an investigation has been launched by the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH due to abuses in stock trading and other illegalities.

Due to all the above, TI BiH hopes that the FBiH Government and the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Industry will this time ensure transparency and conduct the privatization process respecting the public interest, and enable independent monitoring of privatization, in order to prevent abuses in previous cases. privatizations have caused irreparable damage to the BiH economy.
Press rls – 24 2 2015 doc

TI BiH requires the RS Government to prove the justification for the construction of a facility for RS representatives in BiH institutions

Press releases ● 19 February 2015

Banja Luka, 19. February 2015 — Transparency International of Bosnia and Herzegovina demands from the Government of Republika Srpska to explain to the public the purpose and purpose of building a facility in the area of East Sarajevo that will allegedly serve to accommodate representatives of Republika Srpska in the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Considering that funds from the BiH Budget are already being allocated for the costs of accommodation of representatives in BiH institutions, TI BiH believes that the purpose of the facility to be built is not clear and that the RS Government goes beyond its competence and allocates huge funds without any need. in the amount of 26.6 million KM. It is especially disputable that the Budget of the Republic of Srpska for 2015. year, no funds have been provided for the facility whose construction is announced, so the question arises from which funds it is intended to finance this facility.

TI BiH sent a request for access to information to the Government of Republika Srpska requesting copies of the Decision on approval of the draft Agreement on the sale of real estate between the Government of RS and the company “Megasan” doo Pale, which appears in the role of seller of the facility. sale of real estate, as well as information on who exactly will be entitled to accommodation in the disputed facility.

Apart from the fact that the Government of the Republika Srpska pompously announces the construction of a facility whose purpose is not clear, at an unrealistic price and without the funds available for this purpose, it is doing so in a year when austerity measures and rationalization of public spending are announced. TI BiH demands from the Government of the Republika Srpska to prove the justification of the construction of a separate facility, as well as to explain to the public of the Republika Srpska from which funds the construction will be financed.

Press rls – 19 2 2015 doc

TI BiH is Organizing Round Table on Recruitment in Public Sector

Announcements ● 18 February 2015

Sarajevo, 18^th February 2015 – TI BiH will use this opportunity to present its experience based on citizens’ complaints about the recruitment process in public sector. The main goal of this round table is to present and discuss about shortcomings of the law in order to regulate the way of employment in the civil service and public institutions/enterprises, and to indicate the legal and bylaw solutions in certain areas.

The round table will be attended by representatives of the Civil Service Agency and other relevant institutions, as well as representatives of civil society and the media.

The round table will be held on Thursday, 19^th February 2015, with the beginning at 10:30 a.m., at the Hotel Europe in Sarajevo.

TI BiH is Organizing Round Table on Recruitment in Public Sector

The director of the RS Banking Agency told the citizens to control the work of the banks themselves

Press releases ● 13 February 2015

Banja Luka, 13. February 2015 — Transparency International of Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) strongly condemns the statement of the director of the Banking Agency of the Republika Srpska, Slavica Injac, who told the citizens that they should take care of the banks’ operations. After the session of the RS National Assembly, at which the report of the RS Banking Agency was adopted, on the occasion of the closure of Bobar Bank and doubts about the stability of banks, but also the work of the Agency, Injac said: “He who has more funds should have more economic knowledge and monitor audit reports, bank websites and seek information from banks themselves. ”

In this way, the director of the RS Banking Agency not only made the existence of the supervisory institution of the banking system headed by her meaningless, but she practically told Bobar Bank’s clients that they were to blame for being damaged by its collapse. TI BiH reminds that the Law on the RS Banking Agency stipulates that the Agency was just established for the purpose of regulating and controlling the banking system. Also, the Statute of the Agency stipulates that the Agency informs the public by providing timely information, issuing official publications, holding press conferences and creating conditions for informing the public about the work of the Agency. TI BiH believes that it is impossible to create such conditions if the director of the RS Banking Agency tells the citizens to take care of the stability of banks by searching for information.

With this statement, Injac damaged the reputation of the Agency, for which the Law on the RS Banking Agency provides for the possibility of dismissal, and questioned the meaning of the regulatory body by telling citizens to control the work of banks. TI BiH notes that it is inadmissible for the director of the supervisory agency that controls the stability of the banking system to openly tell the users of financial services to take care of their banks’ operations by educating or searching for information.

Therefore, TI BiH demands that this scandalous statement be announced by the Agency’s Management Board and the Minister of Finance of the Republika Srpska, and that a procedure be initiated to determine the responsibility of the Agency and its management for the collapse of Bobar Bank, as well as to be held responsible for all abuses. until its liquidation. Otherwise, the damaged public trust in the work of the RS Banking Agency will be deepened, especially now that Injac has actually said that there is no need for the Agency to exist as a mediator between citizens and financial organizations.
Press rls – 13 2 2015

Commission for Implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy of RS without independent members

Press releases ● 12 February 2015

Banja Luka, 12. February 2015 – For the second time, Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH) received a Notice from the RS Ministry of Justice annulling the Public Call for Appointment of Members of the Anti-Corruption Strategy Implementation Commission on behalf of civil society, media and academia. organizations.

The first Public Invitation was published in April 2014. It was annulled due to the fact that there were no applications from the academic community and the media, and two applications were received from civil society organizations, including TI BiH. The repeated public call was announced in August 2014, and TI BiH only received an official notification after 6 months that the call was canceled again, because there were no registered candidates in front of the academic community. This Notice does not state that the Public Invitation will be re-announced, which leads to the conclusion that the Commission for the Implementation of the Strategy will be left without independent members.

Apart from the devastating fact that the academic community is not interested in participating in this body, TI BiH also considers unacceptable the approach of the RS Government, ie the Ministry of Justice, which twice annuls the entire Public Invitation, although members of civil society and media could be appointed. It is obvious that there was no intention to enable the participation of civil society, at least as a supervision over the work of the Commission, because certainly only an observer role is envisaged for these members.

Regardless of the attempts to prevent independent supervision of the work of institutions, TI BiH will monitor the implementation of the Strategy, if its implementation is started, given that the previous RS Anti-Corruption Strategy did not yield any results, nor was there a methodology for monitoring its implementation by the institutions in charge of implementing the Strategy.
Press rls – 12 2 2015 doc