The Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office (KS) has concluded that Prointer ITSS did not commit an economic crime by falsifying documents for tenders in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH). The case against this company has been referred to the general crime prosecutor.
This action comes three years after the FBiH Police Administration (FUP) submitted a report on the committed criminal offense to the Prosecutor’s Office. The Prosecutor’s Office explains that the matter may potentially fall under General Crime jurisdiction.
“Consequently, the case has been referred to the General Crime prosecutor, who will review the provided documentation and take further steps to make a lawful decision”, said the Sarajevo Canton Prosecutor’s Office.
In mid-2022, the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) reported that Prointer ITSS had submitted forged documentation for two tenders of the FBiH Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. The company thereby sought to secure public contracts worth 692,000 BAM, involving the management of systems containing the personal data of nearly one million citizens of FBiH.
Since the story was published, Prointer ITSS has successfully contracted projects worth over 117 million BAM with various institutions and public enterprises across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of these contracts are secured with institutions in Republika Srpska (RS), where the company has established longstanding ties with Igor Dodik, son of Milorad Dodik, President of RS and leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats.
“He is neither an owner nor an authorized representative, but rather a collaborator with the company. He is involved in new technologies, collaborating with foreign firms, and deriving income from these activities”, Dodik stated during a 2019 RS National Assembly session.
CIN journalists discovered that in 2020, Prointer was required by the Tender Commission of the FBiH Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to provide proof of having experienced professionals capable of maintaining complex information systems for the Ministry. However, lacking sufficient personnel, they submitted falsified documents regarding the work experience and biographies of two individuals. Even though the Ministry was required to verify the documentation, they failed to do so, hence allowing Prointer to qualify as an applicant.
In mid-June 2024, Prointer ITSS was “blacklisted” by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury.
OFAC enforces economic and trade sanctions to bolster U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. Consequently, organizations, firms, and individuals listed by OFAC are viewed as threats to U.S. national security due to their various activities.
In early 2022, Microsoft, the American technology company, removed Prointer from its list of partners. This decision came in response to sanctions imposed by the United States on the President of RS for corruption, accumulation of personal wealth, and destabilization efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
