The trial of the former mayor of Sarajevo, Abdulah Skaka, was held today in the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, against whom the Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Sarajevo filed an indictment for abuse of office and other related crimes.
Today, the indictment was read and the opening statements were made.
The prosecutor said that he will prove high corruption in this case and ask for a prison sentence.
The defense reacted violently to these allegations. Namely, the lawyer of the former mayor, Senka Nožica, said that she will not prove it, because as she states, Skaka was not accused of high corruption.
Also, in the opening remarks, the prosecutor characterized this case as a case about lying, cheating and trampling on the fundamental values of this country.
Abdulah Skaka, the former mayor of Sarajevo, SDA cadre, is charged with several criminal offences.
Skaka was accused of abuse of position or authority, unscrupulous work in the service, falsification of an official document, giving a gift and other forms of benefit, and violation of the equality of man and citizen.
As a reminder, Skaka is accused of illegally employing four advisers who were initially employed in the Trnovo Municipality in 2017, only to appoint them as his advisers after 24 hours. He was also accused of illegally spending money from the budget of the City of Sarajevo.
As stated in the indictment, Skaka gave grant funds to non-governmental organizations close to him in which members of his family were engaged. With the help of the accused Kolovrat, the former assistant for finances and budget of the City, he allocated money from the budget to non-governmental organizations, that is, to their presidents – Kacila, Fočo and Mrkonja.
Also, taking advantage of his official position, he employed four advisers in positions where advisers were not provided. Maja Hadžihalilović, Nedim Tvrtković, Ensar Eminović and Erna Čolić.
He was also accused of illegally spending money from the city budget by giving grants to non-governmental organizations in which members of his family were also involved. In addition, he transferred money from the budget intended for returnees, 15,000 marks, for the construction of the “Rasvjeta” project in the settlement of Rajski Do in the municipality of Trnovo, where his cottage is also located – although the accused former mayor knew that the settlement had everything, except returnee families, the Prosecution claims.
They are also accused of abusing public procurement for bringing the Formula E car project,” they even paid one agency 6,000 marks just to announce that Formula E will arrive in Sarajevo, the Prosecutor’s Office announced. Also, it is suspected of giving a gift in connection with the election of the chairman of the city council so that Bogić Bogičević would not be elected and so that Abdulah Skaka would obtain a new mandate for himself. The defendants Amela Kolovrat, Faris Fočo and Hasan Mrkonja did not have opening statements today, they announced them after the presentation of evidence.
The prosecution announced that it will present a series of evidence in the main trial and request a prison sentence.
More than 80 witnesses, eight experts will testify at the main trial, and more than 600 material pieces of evidence have been announced. Three hearings have been scheduled, the first of which will be held on March 4, 2024 at 9:30 a.m., N1 writes.
