Office of the High Representative and OSCE Mission to BiH Remove Skopljak from Office

SARAJEVO, 18 July 2000 - The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, and the Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Robert Barry, have removed Emin Skopljak, from his position in the Telecommunications Regulation Agency. This decision was taken because Mr. Skopljak has "failed to show any commitment to the implementation of the General Framework for Peace and the reform of telecommunications within Bosnia-Herzegovina", as states the official decision taken by OHR and OSCE.

The Decision states that Mr. Skopljak engaged in an extra-legal agenda and failed to adhere to and uphold the laws of Bosnia-Herzegovina. On 20 May 1999 Mr. Skopljak issued an official letter which incorrectly certified a merger between Bosniak Television Ljiljan (BTV Ljiljan) and BMNR Hayat which purported to create BRT, Int. and which granted the merged subject the right to use frequencies allotted to the founders. However, administrative and court documents show that a proper merger between these subjects did not occur but that a separate merger involving a different legal subject, Bosniak Television (BTV d.o.o), did take place with BMNR Hayat. Other documentation on record confirms that Mr. Skopljak was fully aware of the correct legal subjects that were actually merged.

The incorrect certification of a merger between BTV Ljiljan and BMNR Hayat was in furtherance of deliberate attempts by Mr. Skopljak and others to provide a means for BRT, Int. to acquire a provisional license to broadcast for which it was not eligible. The Decision holds that this act constituted a deliberate attempt on the part of Mr. Skopljak to mislead the Independent Media Commission, an Annex 10 Commission of GFAP, into providing a provisional license to BRT, Int.

Further, it was beyond the powers of the Director of Telecommunications. to authorize any use of broadcast frequencies after July 1998 when this responsibility was transferred to the Independent Media Commission. Additional documentation confirming the broadcast history of BTV Ljiljan provided by Mr. Skopljak to the Independent Media Commission on 6 June 1999, while accurate, appeared to confirm the right of BRT, Int. to inherit the frequency of BTV Ljiljan.

The High Representative's decision to remove Mr. Skopljak from his position is effective immediately. The Head of the OSCE Mission in BiH has also banned Mr. Skopljak from holding any public elected or appointed office at any level, including office in any public company, unless authorized by the High Representative. Mr. Skopljak could also be subject to prosecution. The position left vacant by Mr. Skopljak's removal will be filled in accordance with the legal regulations governing appointment. Any nominationmust first be approved by the OHR, at which time the proposed replacement can proceed further through the legal process.

For additional information contact Alexandra Stiglmayer, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Representative, at 033/283-500 or Alexander Nitzsche, Acting Spokesperson for the OSCE at 033/292-153.