Zdenko Lučić posted on Facebook a detailed text divided into two parts and titled “How was SOKO robbed, and who are the owners – the guardians of stolen wealth?”
He directly accuses Dragan Čović and individuals he links to the privatization of the former industrial giant in Mostar.
SOKO Mostar was a Yugoslav manufacturer of combat aircraft and helicopters with headquarters in Mostar. The company produced numerous military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force.
Lučić says in his post that the SOKO case is not just an example of failed privatization but a clear political and economic takeover of assets, labor rights, and public resources. He specifically points out the division of the former enterprise into multiple smaller companies, which aimed to weaken positions of the workers and unions, thus opening the door for the privatization of valuable assets.
The SOKO complex covered 450,000 square meters, including over 122,000 square meters of production and commercial facilities. Lučić noted that the value of those assets was significantly undervalued in official assessments, adding that the actual value was much higher.
He adds that the privatization also included acquiring land and facilities at low prices, which public enterprises and institutions later bought back or rented at much higher prices. Lučić describes these practices as ‘robbing the people,’ stressing that the workers, veterans, and citizens, who spent years building this enterprise, paid the highest price.
He also names many individuals from political, business, and institutional circles who played different roles, from political support and institutional protection to participation in asset valuations, privatization decisions, and subsequent property management.
In the second part of the post, Lučić analyzes the current political and economic situation, mentioning BHANSA, Elektroprivreda HZ HB, Eronet, solar projects, and public enterprises. He warns that the same pattern of political influence and control over public resources is still present.
Lučić concluded that the SOKO case is not merely a thing of the past, but a model that shaped political and economic power in Herzegovina. As a result, while workers lost their jobs and assets, the former production facilities were turned into commercial spaces that only a few individuals benefit from.
