His co-defendants are Ljubo Mrđen and Drago Nižol, directors of his Banja Luka-based firms “Agrocoop export-import” and “Avio Rent.”
Ćopić is alleged to have been funneling money from narcotics into the legitimate economy of the RS and Serbia via various off-shore companies and banks. The money belongs to Darko Šarić, for whom prosecutors say to be a leader and organizer of a vast Balkan drug ring branching out all the way to South America. Šarić is on the run while Serbia has been prosecuting several members of his organization.
According to police information, Ćopić injected into BiH economy more than 20 million KM. Some of the money he invested into buying stock in Bijeljina Sugar Factory and other businesses in the RS.
Following his arrest, the law enforcement agencies in the RS have frozen stocks of the company worth 18.4 million KM and € 455,000 of founding capital in DTM Relations. They also forfeited a number of real and movable property owned by Ćopić and his firms including a Cessna airplane worth around 317,000 KM; a house in Banja Luka worth 225,000 KM and an Audi A6.
Dragica Tojagić, a spokesperson for the Special Prosecutor’s office, said that a district court in Banja Luka will confirm or dismiss the indictment within 15 days.
