The situation at Herzegovacka Banka has been made difficult by the actions of the organised mob seen in Mostar and other branches where my representatives were trying to gather information on the work of the bank on Friday.
I was appointed by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to secure the assets of the bank, protecting the interests of its depositors, both private and public, and to prevent any illegal actions. My aim is to reopen the bank, to do this it is important that the bankąs managers co-operate closely with the Provisional Administrator.
Depositors and the general public should be aware that the actions that I and my staff have undertaken are in full accord with the Federation Banking Law and have the support of Banking Agency of the Federation of BiH, the Federation authorities and the International Community — including the OHR, the European Union and the U.S. government. Once the current status of the bank has been ascertained, the next steps will be considered.
Because of the violence organised against my personnel and the bank’s property, the investigation will now take some time. I therefore ask depositors to remain patient while my work is brought to a successful completion.
“This document is not an official OHR text, and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the OHR. It has been published for information only, and responsibility lies with the originating organisation.”