Stanišić, Škipina, and Ćosić distribute sheep through an agricultural cooperative whose founders are affiliated with a party close to them
6 min read
The agricultural cooperative “TDST” was established just one month before it received half a million convertible marks from the Government of Republika Srpska through the Agency for Agrarian Payments. Its founders are close to the SNSD party. The cooperative issued a public call for the distribution of sheep. Stanišić, Ćosić, and Škipina secured additional funding and took credit for launching the initiative. Stanišić says the cooperative was established to implement an agricultural project and that it met all the required conditions.
Written by: Sanja Vasković
Member of Parliament Aco Stanišić recently boasted on social media that, together with Ljubiša Ćosić, Mayor of East Sarajevo, and fellow MP Damjan Škipina, he had launched an initiative to distribute sheep with the aim of strengthening livestock farming and supporting agricultural producers in the Sarajevo–Romanija region.
“East Sarajevo City Administration and ODS ‘Elektrodistribucija’ a.d. Pale, as a socially responsible company, have joined the initiative. Together with the Government of Republika Srpska, they have secured funding amounting to 650,000 KM to implement this significant project,” Stanišić wrote.
The project will provide at least 1,500 sheep to residents of the East Sarajevo area.
More specifically, the public call, issued a few days ago, is open only to residents of Pale, East Novo Sarajevo, and East Stari Grad who meet the specified eligibility requirements.
The project is being implemented by the agricultural cooperative “TDST” in East Sarajevo.
Interestingly, the MP subsequently edited his social media post. Initially, he wrote that a “public call for the distribution of money” had been issued, but later changed the wording to “distribution of sheep.”
This prompted the Pale branch of the PSS party to comment that the wording was, in fact, no mistake and that “the language speaks for itself,” pointing out that taxpayers’ money does not belong to the SNSD.
In addition, the name of the agricultural cooperative had initially been written incorrectly, with “DST” appearing instead of “TDST.”
East Sarajevo Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić also announced the project on social media.
Who are the founders of the “TDST” Agricultural Cooperative?
The full legal name of the entity responsible for the sheep distribution project is Agricultural Cooperative “Tradicijom do sigurnog tržišta” p.o. (literally, “Through Tradition to a Secure Market”)
The cooperative was established on 9 July this year.
As early as August, the Government of Republika Srpska approved half a million convertible marks in funding for the cooperative under a scheme providing incentives to support the development of a network of agricultural cooperators.
These are subsidies intended to stimulate the development of agriculture and rural areas, administered through the Republika Srpska Agency for Agrarian Payments.
The founders of the privately owned agricultural cooperative are predominantly members of the SNSD party.
Among them is Ognjen Sladoje, the current chief of staff to Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić.
Sladoje also owns a private company that previously secured contracts from the Municipality of East Novo Sarajevo through direct agreements. The municipality is headed by SNSD’s Jovan Katić.
Sladoje is still listed as the director of a company owned by his brother, Miljan Sladoje, an SNSD councillor.
This company has also received contracts from SNSD mayors and municipal heads, as our portal has previously reported.
Another name among the founders is Đorđe Stupar, who, according to media reports, serves as an adviser in Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić’s office.
The director of the “TDST” Agricultural Cooperative is Miloš Dangić, an active member of the Young Social Democrats.
Have public institutions become private property?
This privately owned cooperative, founded by SNSD members and supporters and responsible for issuing the public call for the distribution of sheep, is registered at the address of the administrative centre of the City of East Sarajevo.
Moreover, the public call specifies that applications must be submitted at the City administration’s address, with an indication that they are intended for the agricultural cooperative.
We asked Stanišić and Škipina, who are once again candidates for the Republika Srpska National Assembly under the SNSD banner, how individuals close to the SNSD established a private cooperative at the City’s address through which public funds would be distributed, and how the cooperative received subsidies from the Government of Republika Srpska so quickly.
Aco Stanišić told SPIN Info that he, together with Mayor Ljubiša Ćosić and fellow MP Damjan Škipina, had held a meeting with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Savo Minić, during which they initiated several projects and investment proposals, including this one.
Stanišić noted that the funding had been approved by a conclusion adopted by the Government of Republika Srpska.
“I believe that the mere fact that the cooperative was established one month before the funding was approved does not constitute evidence of any irregularity, particularly if, to my knowledge, it was established for the purpose of implementing agricultural projects and if it met the requirements set by the competent institutions. The date of establishment, in and of itself, is not and cannot be proof that anything is wrong,” Stanišić said, referring us to the Government of Republika Srpska for further information.
We are still awaiting responses from the Agency for Agrarian Payments explaining how this agricultural cooperative met the requirements for government subsidies. The Agency has promised to provide answers, which will be published accordingly.
We also asked some of the cooperative’s founders how they came up with the idea of establishing the cooperative and issuing a public call for the distribution of sheep. We are still awaiting their responses, as well as a response from MP Škipina.
“Through Tradition to a Secure Market” Already Exists
For the second consecutive year, a festival of traditional products, handicrafts, and other artisanal goods bearing the same name has been held in East Sarajevo.
Although it initially appeared to be a similar project, the agricultural cooperative “Through Tradition to a Secure Market” is not connected to the “Through Tradition to a Secure Market” festival.
Why the same name was chosen remains unknown.
The fair is organised by the East Sarajevo City Development Agency and funded by the Republika Srpska Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship.
More specifically, the Ministry covers 70% of the project’s costs, excluding VAT. In this case, the East Sarajevo City Development Agency was approved just over 20,000 KM in funding, as confirmed to SPIN Info by the agency’s director, Anja Krsmanović.
We informed the director that an agricultural cooperative had been established at the City’s address under a name identical to that of the fair organised by her agency.
However, she was unaware of this.
“I really don’t know anything about that. I only know what the City Development Agency does… We have the official decision, so the East Sarajevo City Development Agency, in partnership with the City, RAIS and, in this case, the Municipality of Sokolac, organises the Through Tradition to a Secure Market festival,” Director Krsmanović said.
It is worth recalling that MP Aco Stanišić recently also distributed chickens. More precisely, Elektrodistribucija Pale donated 100,000 KM to the City of East Sarajevo to purchase laying hens. The decision was signed by Branko Koroman, chairman of the supervisory board of Elektrodistribucija Pale, who is also the president of the Pale Municipal Assembly and a fellow party member of Elektrodistribucija director Aco Stanišić.
Regarding the distribution of sheep, it was stated that the intention was to make the support sustainable through the return of livestock, allowing the programme to expand to new households each year, with the aim of increasing livestock numbers and developing sheep farming in the area
