USA SANCTIONS STOP THE CRIME OF DODIK FAMILY: Prointer, as ATV owner, could be left without licenses and millions in tenders

The USA sanctions imposed on Milorad Dodik, a member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and ‘’Alternativna televizija’’, are just a confirmation of previous writings of Žurnal about the connection between the Dodik family and the company "Prointer", which is the sole owner of this media. 

The recent arrival of USA’s President Joe Biden's special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, seems to have given Dodik a new headache:

"We talked about sanctions and sanctions are on the table. And not only sanctions, there are other economic means that can be implemented not only against leaders who carry out anti-Dayton activities, but also against those who support them, against companies that help them", he announced.

With ATV and its owner, this could mean that other members of the “Infinity International Group”, which includes “Prointer” - "Kaldera", "Infinity ADS" (former "Sector ADS" taken over from the family of a brutally murdered businessman Slaviša Krunić), "Ep Mobile", as well as the Macedonian and Montenegrin "Infinity". The "Integral Inženjering" empire, owned by Slobodan Stanković, who works closely with the Dodik family, could also be under scrutiny.

According to the latest data, "Prointer" has concluded contracts worth a total of 188,515,597 KM with the public sector in Republika Srpska since 2015. The Sarajevo branch of the company signed 46 contracts worth 3,317,262 KM.

IBM: EXPLAIN SUSPICIOUS TENDERS

We remind you that on November 11, Žurnal announced the problems that "Prointer" could face if the United States of America expand sanctions against Dodik due to obvious crime and corruption.

On March 6, 2019, IBM World Trade Corporation and IBM Ireland Product terminated their cooperation agreements with “Prointer”. These two companies then, from May 2019 to February 2020, on several occasions requested a notification from "Prointer" regarding media announcements about rigged tenders, according to the documentation in the possession of Žurnal.

"IBM" and "IBM IP" questioned the way in which "Prointer", a company connected with the family of the member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Milorad Dodik, does business with institutions and public companies. After the termination of these agreements, on July 18 of the same year, the nervous Dodik before the deputies in the Parliament of Republika Srpska finally confirmed what he did not really want - the connection of his son Igor with "Prointer".

Sources from the RS Government, MP Nebojša Vukanović, then stated that the companies "Microsoft", "DELL", "HP", "Oracle" and SAP announced the termination of cooperation.

"I received confirmation of this information from two sources. If I were wrong, they would immediately deny it through their “Alternativna televizija”, which is owned by “Prointer”, Vukanović told Žurnal, adding that a government source told him they were worried because many institutions could be denied licenses and their work disabled.

This was actually interpreted two months ago as the first package of sanctions against the SNSD leader for his war-mongering policies, decades of unprocessed crime and corruption. It is obvious that the private IT tender business was a large source of income and that this could be a severe blow to the financial balance of the Dodik family.

DODIK'S ACTUAL EDITORS AND ATV CHIEFS

The company "Prointer ITSS", with which Igor Dodik "cooperates", bought the company "K-2" and thus completely took over the ownership of Banja Luka's “Alternativna televizija”, Capital announced at the beginning of May last year. 

The company "K-2" was founded earlier by ATV workers who had a certain share in the ownership of the television. However, in 2019, most of them sold their share to the company "Grand Trade" of the convicted criminal Mile Radišić.

According to official data from the court register, the companies "Prointer" and "K-2" audio services are the only co-owners of ATV. 

Considering that in the previous period it bought a majority stake from “Integra Engineering”, as well as a stake held by “Grand Trade”, “Prointer” acquired full ownership of this media company by purchasing a company that is the sole remaining owner. 

Until recently, “Alternativna televizija” had several co-owners, most of whom were "Integra Engineering", owned by Slobodan Stanković's family. At the end of 2017, “Integra” became the majority owner of this media house. 

"Grand trade" of Mile Radišić also had shares in ATV, which also sold its share to "Prointer".

"ATV, a media outlet based in Banja Luka, is privately owned by a company that is closely connected to Dodik's family. However, behind the scenes, Dodik himself exercises personal control over ATV, such as by demanding personal approval of media stories related to politically sensitive topics. Dodik bought ATV in order to deliberately and explicitly improve his own agenda, which includes his efforts to blacken other political figures, improve his public image and improve his personal and political goals," it is stated, among other things, in the explanation of the decision on sanctions.

As Žurnal reported earlier today, all assets and interests in the property of the sanctioned that are in the USA or owned or controlled by USA individuals have been blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). In addition, all entities that are directly or indirectly owned by 50 percent or more by one or more sanctioned persons are blocked.

Further, all transactions of persons from the USA, within or in USA transit involving any property or interests in the property of certain or otherwise sanctioned are prohibited. Prohibitions include the making of any contribution or the provision of funds, goods, or services by or for the benefit of any blocked person or receiving any contribution, unless authorized by a general or special license issued by OFAC.

According to some announcements, this is just the beginning when it comes to USA sanctions. Allegedly, sanctions are expected to be imposed in the coming period on several dozen other natural and legal persons associated with Milorad Dodik, as well as other corrupt BiH politicians.

(zurnal.info)