27.07.2000 OHR Sarajevo

Removal of Ramiz Dzaferovic

Today, the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, has removed Mr Ramiz Dzaferovic from his positions of Director of the Federation Tax Administration and member of the Management Board of the Payment Bureau.

As Director of the Federation Tax Administration, Mr Dzaferovic, through acts of personal misconduct, impeded the economic reform effort, which is a pillar of the peace implementation process. His actions also endangered the democratization process in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the measures taken to combat corruption and abuse of office, both of which are fundamental to the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Mr Dzaferovic committed tax evasion as the director of the public company “Kimo” in Zenica, which led to a conviction upheld by the Federation Supreme Court. Given that as Director of the Federation Tax Administration, Mr Dzaferovic was responsible for ensuring tax collection, this is a circumstance that seriously compromises him. Mr Dzaferovic remains the object of a criminal report on tax evasion and abuse of office with the Municipal Court in Zenica.

Mr Dzaferovic called into question the integrity and political independence of the Federation Tax Administration by undertaking actions directed against particular persons and parties, such as the inspection of the main opposition party in the Federation less than one month prior to the municipal elections. Additionally, Mr Dzaferovic failed to apply the rules and regulations governing the Federation Tax Administration in a fair, systematic and transparent manner.

Mr Dzaferovic’s removal from the positions of Director of the Federation Tax Administration and member of the Management Board of the Payment Bureau by the High Representative are effective immediately. Mr Dzaferovic is also banned from running in elections under Article 7.11 of the Rules and Regulations of the Provisional Election Commission. Unless authorized by the High Representative, he must not hold any public elected or appointed office. His replacement will be chosen in accordance with the legal regulations governing the appointment on condition that the Office of the High Representative communicates that there are no objections to the proposed name.