In the Sarajevo Municipal Court, a hearing is scheduled for September 26th, at which the former mayor of Sarajevo, Abudulah Skaka, and four other people, accused of multiple crimes, will enter a guilty plea.
At the end of July, the indictment of the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Sarajevo was confirmed, charging Skaka, Amela Kolovrat, Dzanela Kacila, Faris Foco and Hasan Mrkonja with several criminal acts, including abuse of position or authority, negligent work in the service and forgery of an official document.
“The court has scheduled a plea hearing for Tuesday, September 26th,” told a spokeswoman for the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office, Azra Bavcic.
Skaka was accused of abuse of position or authority, negligent work in the service, falsification of an official document, giving gifts and other forms of benefit, and violation of the equality of man and citizen, and Kolovrat for abuse of position or authority, negligent work in the office and falsification of an official document, while Kacila, Foco and Mrkonja are charged with fraud in obtaining loans or other benefits.
The former mayor of Sarajevo is accused of illegally employing four advisers in 2017 who were initially employed in the Municipality of Trnovo, only to appoint them as his advisers after 24 hours.
“Skaka is also accused of illegally spending money from the City’s budget,” the Prosecutor’s Office announced earlier.
As stated, 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, Foca and Mrkonja.
The accused presidents of non-governmental organizations illegally justified the spent money in the amount of 48,000 BAM.
In the part of the indictment that refers to the violation of electoral integrity, Skaka is also accused of promising various benefits, including money, to the councilors, ahead of the election of the chairman of the City Council and the mayor, to vote according to his instructions, all so that Bogic Bogiceviccould not be elected mayor, that is, so that the accused Skaka could run and be elected for a second term in that position.
He was also accused of falsifying financial statements in which he did not show the donations received by the City. He also directed money from the budget, which was intended for the returnee population, to build lighting in the Rajski Do cottage settlement in the municipality of Trnovo, where his cottage is also located.
He is also accused of abuse of public procurement related to the introduction of the Formula E car project.
After the guilty plea, the case against Skaka and the others will be transferred to another judge who will schedule the beginning of the trial, Detektor reports.
E.Dz.
