The salt packaging line, which was owned by the Bajo Sekulić Saltworks from Ulcinj, ended up on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is shown by the data submitted by the Customs Administration to the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds (CZIP). That the salt packaging entered BiH, “Vijesti” was confirmed by the Taxation Authority there.
They also said that the import customs clearance procedure was completed at the Tuzla customs office, and that the importer of the used salt packaging line was the company Bingo doo. The company, owned by Bosnian businessman Senad Dzambic, did not respond to Vijesti as to whether the packaging plant was still owned by them. In the Tuzla Saltworks, for which the employees of the Ulcinj Saltworks claimed that the packaging plant ended up with them, they denied that they had bought any machines in recent months – both from Montenegro and BiH.
At the beginning of January, “Vijesti” announced that the line for packing the salt of the Ulcinj saltworks was sold at a price of 42 thousand euros. As the bankruptcy trustee Zarko Ostojic said at the time, the packaging plant was sold to the “Recycling Center” from Niksic.
The representative of the former workers of the Saltworks in Ulcinj, Aleksandar Mitrović, said earlier that the line for packing salt was paid 1.2 million euros and that it was new. He also said that it is not known when and where the sale was announced. After the salt packaging line was sold, the workers asked the bankruptcy administration for full information about the price of the packaging plant. Mitrovic then said that the packaging plant ended up in Tuzla.
“I repeat, my sources say that the packaging line ended up in Tuzla, and not in Niksic. Personally, I was convinced that it was taken out by trucks with BiH license plates and that the drivers were citizens of our neighbor. There is proof of that at the gate of the saltworks with all the information, “Mitrovic said earlier.
The executive director of the “Recycling Center”, Zdravko Jeknić, said that they are the buyer of the packaging line, but also that as a private company they do not see any special reasons for commercial details and information from their business to be available to the general public.
“Especially in terms of when, when, at what price and why we bought something, and to whom, when, at what price and why we sold something. DOO ‘Centar za reciklažu’ Nikšić bought the line for packing salt, from AD ‘Solana Bajo Sekulić’ in bankruptcy from Ulcinj, in a legal way, in an absolutely legal procedure, and for all details about this sale, you can contact the bankruptcy administration of the seller “Jeknić told” Vijesti “.
Between two decisions
However, the bankruptcy trustee said that he had already said everything in his reaction on January 9, and that a further story was being told, but – without him.
It is true that on December 15, 2020, after a public sale procedure (previously published 15 public invitations), I made a decision to accept the bid of the bidder ‘Recycling Center’ DOO from Nikšić, which I, in the legally prescribed procedure, executed sale of the Salt Packaging Line for the amount of EUR 42,350.00, to which the Decision was also not objected to by creditors, any participant in the procedure or interested parties “, said Ostojić in his reaction in January, adding that the salt packaging line was was anything but ‘almost unpacked’ or ‘conserved’ “, and that certified appraisers re-assessed the value of the bankruptcy estate in 2018, stating that its” technological life expired “, and that the November 2020 estimate revaluation value was estimated at recyclable raw materials.
“Which is significantly lower than the price achieved in the sale procedure in question,” said Ostojic.
Decision on selection of the “Recycling Center” as the most favorable bidder for the purchase of part of the property of the Ulcinj Saltworks, specifically the vehicle fleet, tools and small inventory, and recyclable raw materials, including packaging 10/1 and 5/1, which was delivered to “Vijesti” , is addressed on April 5, 2019.
The decision states that the buyer – “Recycling Center” Niksic, for recyclable raw materials, according to the offer, should have paid 137 euros per ton. The starting price, according to the advertisement published in the “Dnevni novine” on March 11, 2019, was 130 euros per ton.
The advertisement also states that the property advertised as segment II, and also refers to recyclable raw materials, is “sold only and in its entirety”. According to the announcement, the bankruptcy trustee was obliged to display individual lists of assets on the notice boards of the Commercial Court and the bankruptcy debtor, ie Solana “Bajo Sekulić”.
The Bankruptcy Trustee referred the editorial office to the Commercial Court about everything. From the Commercial Court, when asked about a specific announcement, they sent the editorial office to the bankruptcy administration of Solana.
The decision on the selection of the most favorable bidder was submitted to the editorial office from other sources, on the announcement of March 11, 2019, as well as the text of the part of the announcement referring to the list of assets from segment II of that announcement, which refers to recyclable raw materials, rolling stock and tools. small inventory.
The decision on the selection of the most favorable bidder, which “Vijesti” had insight into, also states that “the declared buyer is obliged to provide prior notice during each individual transport of recycled raw materials”.
“And the presence of at least two persons, authorized by the bankruptcy debtor, to measure recyclable raw materials, and submit the data to the professional services of the bankruptcy debtor, to record and invoice the delivery of recycled raw materials,” reads the decision.
The explanation of the decision states that the “Recycling Center”, with a price of 137 euros per ton of recycled raw materials, offered 35,100 euros for tools and small inventory and 21,300 euros for rolling stock and construction machinery. At the same time, as it is written, the offer of “Shield Company”, also from Niksic, arrived. According to the explanation of the decision, that company offered 173 euros per ton for recycling raw materials, while they offered 20,500 euros for tools and small inventory, and 13,001 euros for rolling stock and construction machinery.
“When choosing the most favorable bidder, the Bankruptcy Trustee evaluated the bids for individual items of sale determined in segment II, thus linking all the details of the bid in relation to the advertised property, and according to the criteria of offered prices in relation to the subject of sale. is the offer of the selected bidder the most favorable, and in these circumstances the bankruptcy trustee decided to declare the company ‘Center for Recycling’ Ltd. Nikšić the most favorable bidder, and also the buyer “, reads the explanation of the decision of the bankruptcy trustee Žarko Ostojić.
The “Recycling Center” from Nikšić is the buyer of the salt packaging line, but the packaging company left Montenegro and ended up in Tuzla. This is confirmed by the response of the Customs Administration, which sent a request for free access to information from the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds. The document that “Vijesti” had an insight into states that on December 30 and 31, 2020, the export customs clearance of the used salt packaging line (Phases I, II and III) was performed at the Nikšić customs office.
A few days later, after the New Year’s holidays, the packaging plant was cleared through customs in Tuzla.
“By reviewing the data in the information system of the Indirect Taxation Authority, we found the import of goods into Bosnia and Herzegovina from Montenegro, on 04.01.2021, under tariff code 8422 40 00 with the description ‘Other packaging or wrapping machines (including machines for foil packaging) * SALT PACKAGING LINE (used). The import customs clearance procedure has been completed at the Tuzla customs office, and the importer is the company Bingo DOO Tuzla Bosanska Poljana bb “, states Ratko Kovačević, head of the department for communications and international cooperation in the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH, in response to” Vijesti “.
He also said that the data on the financial amounts of goods that taxpayers import into BiH and export from BiH are secret and protected, and he directed the editorial office to the importer of goods.
Business secrets, then silence
Senad Džambić’s Bingo company was founded in 1993, it is a retail chain, and the owner, according to the Bosnian media, is one of the richest people in that country. In addition to trade, according to the official website, the group includes other activities and industries – detergent and household products industry, production of flips, chips, pasta, spices and soups, textile industry, furniture industry, production of stationery, breweries, production gravel, production and use of renewable energy sources…
Recently, according to the media in BiH, “the most modern poultry reprocenter and incubator station for raising day-old chicks” were put into operation, and they also announced that they had made arrangements with neighboring countries, including Montenegro, for this year. that the Serbian market will produce half a million chickens for that.
Bingo, when asked by “Vijesti” about the salt packaging line, answered with the announcement that some answer may follow, but after that – nothing.
“I should check with the procurement service, but it is certainly a corporate rule not to answer questions that fall within the domain of trade secrets,” reads the answer signed by Tatjana Paunoski, who heads the marketing department at Senad Dzambic’s company.
They did not answer the additional request to provide answers to those questions that may go beyond the scope of business secrets and confirm whether Bingo doo is an importer of a salt packaging line from Montenegro, and whether the packaging plant is still owned by that company.
“Vijesti” also sent an inquiry about the salt packaging line to the Tuzla Saltworks. However, the director of Tuzla’s Solana, Bakir Smailagić, claims that they have not traded any machines in recent months – neither from suppliers from BiH, nor from Montenegro.
How much did the packaging really cost?
The bankruptcy trustee of Solana Ulcinj said earlier that the allegations of the workers’ representatives that the salt packaging line was paid 1.2 million were not true, but that it was “purchased according to available data” for the amount of 537.7 thousand euros from the Slovenian company Zlatorog oprema ‘doo, under contract no. 1156/2008 of 3 June 2008 ”.
The list of recyclable raw materials that accompanies the ad from March 11, 2019, when the sale of part of the property of Solana “Bajo Sekulić” was announced for the fifteenth time, in the section entitled “salt packaging line”, packing houses 10/1 and 5/1, and more ten items, including iodization line, thermal tunnel, InJet marker. Each item is accompanied by the 2007 label.
For Jovanic, the intention of the bankrupt to sell the state land is fine
Since it announced the 15th tender for the sale of Solana’s property on March 11, 2019, and included more than 15 million square meters of state land on which the Ulcinj company claims the right to use, but not the right of ownership, the Network for Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) in April of the same year, she filed a complaint with the Commercial Court against the work of bankruptcy trustee Žarko Ostojić. With the same explanation – that he announced the sale of state land that Solana had the right to use only while producing salt, four NGOs filed criminal charges against Ostojic.
The President of the Commercial Court, Blažo Jovanić, rejected the complaint of MANS, and due to the suspicion that he abused his official position by such an act and failure to perform his duty, that NGO also filed criminal charges against Jovanić.
Complaints were also filed against those responsible for the then Property Administration, the Real Estate Administration and the Protector of Property and Legal Interests of Montenegro.
Author: Damira Kalač, ND Vijesti
