The Prosecutor’s Office in Central Bosnia is investigating the events at the Vitezit explosives factory in Vitez, which was sold in December last year.
This judicial institution formed five cases after criminal complaints about irregularities in the bankruptcy proceedings, as well as the “dismemberment” of Vitezit’s property.
The former giant of the dedicated industry was majority owned by the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina(FBiH), and has been in bankruptcy since November 2019.
Mario Lujic, one of Vitezit’s creditors, filed the largest number of criminal charges against the actors of the bankruptcy proceedings, who claims that the process was carried out illegally.
The Vitezit factory was bought at the end of December last year by company WDG promet from Zagreb, after seven unsuccessful attempts at public sale.
According to the Law on Foreign Investments, a foreign buyer cannot own more than 49 percent of a company engaged in the production and sale of weapons, ammunition and explosives for military use. For a larger share of ownership, in this case, consent must be given by the Government of the FBiH.
Who is the buyer?
In the past two years, Zvonko Zubak, a merchant of military equipment from Croatia, was most often mentioned as a buyer.
Zubak is not the only one whose name is mentioned in the story of the purchase of a dedicated industry in central Bosnia.
Two months before the publication of the results of the international tender, the sale of Vitezit was agreed through a direct contract with the company Innovat, based in Sarajevo.
By decision of October 14th, the Board of Creditors in Vitezit gave consent to the bankruptcy trustee to conclude a preliminary contract with this company, which offered 10.8 million BAM.
However, on October 28th, the offer was invalidated and theapproval for the international tender was given.
Military expert Berko Zecevic emphasizes that the factory was destroyed by a policy that allowed the looting of property and raw materials.
“While it was state property, politics prevented it from working. It is not normal to destroy a factory worth a hundred million dollars and that nobody is held accountable,” Zecevic explained, Radio Slobodna Evropa reports.
Photo: Al Jazeera Balkans
E.Dz.
