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Former director of Stanari Health Center sentenced to eight months in prison
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Central Election Commission of BiH should strip him of his councilor mandate
DOBOJ- The Basic Court in Doboj has sentenced Nedeljko Đekić, a DNS (Democratic People´s Alliance) councillor in Stanari, to eight months in prison for abuse of office and financial misconduct committed while he was the director of the Stanari Health Center.
Dragoslav Vidović, director of the “Nikolic Company” (Kompanija Nikolić) from Prnjavor, was sentenced to three months in prison and fined 2,500 BAM (around 1.280 €) for fictitious contracts he arranged with Đekić and formally signed with the health institution.
The verdict followed plea agreements reached with the prosecution in December last year, through which the defendants waived their right to appeal.
Since Đekić was sentenced to more than six months in prison, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIK BiH) is legally obliged to revoke his councillor mandate.
Charity at the Expense of Citizens and the State
According to the verdict obtained by CAPITAL, Đekić first abused his position in July 2018 while serving as deputy director. At that time, he included Goran Jerinić, a former SNSD (Alliance of Independent Social Democrats) MP in the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, in the private mobile VPN network, although Jerinić was not employed by the Health Center and had no right to such benefits.
At the time, they were party colleagues, though Đekić later changed political affiliation.
Using the network benefits, Jerinić purchased a Samsung S9 phone for one BAM (around 0,50€). Later, after becoming director, Đekić bought him an S20 Ultra phone worth 1,096 BAM (around 560 €) at the Health Center’s expense.
From July 2018 to January 2021, the Stanari Health Center paid Jerinić’s phone bills totalling approximately 4,000 BAM (around 2.000 €). In January 2021, Đekić disconnected Jerinić’s number, and the Health Center paid 2,160 BAM (around 1.100 €) to the telecom operator M:tel as compensation for contract termination.
The court calculated that the public health institution suffered damages of 7,252 BAM (around 3.700 €) from these actions.
“As an official, by taking advantage of his position and authority, he obtained a benefit for others, and caused damage to the Health Center,” states the verdict obtained by CAPITAL.
However, Đekić’s generosity did not stop there. In May 2020, he included his wife Sanja Đekić in the VPN network and purchased her an S20 Ultra phone worth 1,196 BAM (around 560 €), again at the Health Center’s expense.
By April 2021, the Health Center had paid her phone bills, causing additional damage of 2,661 BAM (around 1.360 €), as her average monthly bills amounted to around 140 BAM (around 71 €).
Fictitious Contracts for Money Extraction
In July 2020, Đekić signed a fictitious contract with Dragoslav Vidović for maintenance works at branch ambulance stations in Dragalovci and Cerovica. The contract included painting walls and landscaping services that were never performed, yet the Health Center paid 4,446 BAM (around 2.270 €), supported by falsified documentation.
In August and September of the same year, Đekić hired a crafts business from Prnjavor for painting job at the Health Center and paid 6,669 BAM (around 3.400 €) for job that was also never carried out.
“The total damage amounted to 11,115 BAM (around 5.680 €), while unlawful financial gain exceeded 10,000 BAM (around 5.000 €)”, the verdict states.
During the plea agreement hearing, the prosecutor noted that the defendants compensated the Health Center, shortened the proceedings, and reduced court costs, which was considered a mitigating circumstance.
Defence attorney Siniša Mikić stated that the defendants accepted responsibility and showed remorse, adding that the agreed sentences would fulfil the purpose of both general and special prevention.