In recent days, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been rocked by a major energy scandal. Boriša Misirača, former director of the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources, is under investigation for solar quotas and millions in incentives. The criminal complaint was filed according to the report of the Office for the Audit of the Institutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The case was taken over by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office from the Prosecutor’s Office of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.
From the Special Department for Corruption, Organized and Intercantonal Crime for BHT1, it has been confirmed that the case related to the alleged illegal business in the work of the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources and Efficient Cogeneration has been taken over from the Prosecutor’s Office of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and is in the investigation phase. They also noted that the acting cantonal prosecutor had previously opened an investigation against one person on suspicion of illegal employment.
“The reason for taking actions under the jurisdiction of the HNK Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office was the submitted criminal complaint, based on the report of the FBiH Institutional Audit Office. By taking over the case, the federal prosecutor, acting in accordance with his powers and competences, continued to take all the necessary actions with the aim of establishing the basis for a possible expansion of the investigation,” said the spokeswoman of the Federal POSKOK, Nina Hadžihajdarević.
Six years ago, the magazine “Žurnal” started publishing a series of articles about crime in the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources, which was then managed by director Boriš Misirač, stating that an extremely extensive criminal activity was taking place, which resulted in damage, first of all, to the budget, but also to the citizens. But now one of the most important questions is how to compensate for the damage of around 50 million KM?
“At the time when the first allegations of crime and illegality led by Director Boriš Misirač at the Operator appeared, the damage might have been minimized… Everything that is coming now, the eventual indictment and verdict will not compensate for the damage that was committed, which could have been, if not prevented, then reduced to a large extent, if the HNK Prosecutor’s Office had reacted at the right time”, emphasizes the journalist of the online magazine “Žurnal” Amarildo Gutić.
Energy expert Damir Miljević agrees that the damage is great, both for the citizens and for the economy of the FBiH who pay compensation for renewable energy sources on their electricity bills. He adds that this money went into the hands of some tycoons and suitable political figures.
“With the fact that the main problem here is how it is possible that it was done in such a non-transparent way for years while the then director was the director of the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources, and I think that this affair must be brought to an end and the basic question is how this money will be returned to the Operator for Renewable Energy Sources,” Miljević points out.
Based on the report made by the Audit Office of the FBiH and Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he previously performed certain analyzes and formed proposals with which, as they say, they will soon go to the institutions in order to eliminate corruption risks in the field of renewable energy sources, which are huge.
“It is important who entered this story earlier and who signed what contracts earlier, these are irregularities that have already occurred… It is important that we monitor how this money is spent and that is why it is important that the judicial institutions got involved in this, because I think there is really work for them”, says Srđan Traljić from TI BiH.
We also tried to get answers from Nermin Đindić, who was the federal minister of energy, mining and industry during the mandate of Boriša Misirača, but he did not answer calls. Current minister Vedran Lekić also did not want to speak because the investigation is ongoing.
(TYPE/Source: bhrt.ba/Author: Sanela Gaković)
