As expected, the last attempt to sell the Koksara as a legal entity was also unsuccessful, although the minimum initial price was only 108 million marks from the total value of the assets of this former industrial giant, which was estimated at around 225 million marks. None of the bids even came close to the initial minimum price. Because of this, several dozens of former workers started a strike in front of the factory, where they demanded the final binding of seniority and the payment of all debts based on earned wages.
At the same time, the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office in Tuzla and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office are conducting pre-investigation actions based on criminal reports relating to the period before the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings and after the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings, and after a detailed analysis it will be known whether all this will be combined into one criminal case under the jurisdiction of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
Partial sale after initial fiasco
The sale of Koksara as a legal entity, as expected, was a fiasco. A partial sale will soon follow, which could be successful, and this can already be assumed after the expressed interest of potential investors in the attractive parts of Koksara.
“We have a lot of people interested in AMK and around Energana. Lately, there have also been people interested in Azotara, the production of mineral fertilizers. We have a machine workshop, which also has interested parties. We have significant potential outside the factory, which is also good for investments,” says Almir Bajrić, bankruptcy administrator of Koksara Lukavac in bankruptcy.
Guaranteed 100% satisfaction to the workers, they are looking for a reaction from the judiciary
Bajrić considers the bankruptcy proceedings successful because, as he says, 100% compensation to the workers is guaranteed. They, on the other hand, are looking for an urgent reaction from the prosecutor’s office. They state that the former directors Suljić and Ovčina know the causes of the collapse and demand that they say how and why the cooperation with Smederevo was terminated and the business was directed towards the Zenica Steel Plant.
“At this moment, the prosecutor’s office and the judiciary need to see what this is, where it came from. With such positive work, let’s get out and close the factory,” recalls former worker Nurdin Džuzić.
Criminal report, police reports, preliminary investigations
A criminal complaint with extensive documentation was filed against Dževad Kasumović, one of the former directors.
“The allegations from the application itself refer to certain illegalities in certain investment investments, investment projects and cycles, they are also related to the irrational spending of financial resources and what is also stated in the application itself – the preference of certain suppliers according to certain tender procedures”, said Admir Arnautović, spokesperson of the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor’s Office.
On several occasions, the Department of the Criminal Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Tuzla Canton submitted reports that related to various segments of the investigation into the operations of Koksara from Lukavac. We tried to talk about everything with the reported former director Kasumović, but he did not answer. Two cases in the application phase related to the bankruptcy in Koksara in Lukavac, its cause and circumstances, were formed in the Special Department of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. Everything is in the verification phase, but it is not yet known whether there will eventually be a merger of the cases handled by the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Department of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
