On Friday, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on the two adult children of Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, and their affiliated companies, citing their alleged involvement in the leader’s ongoing corruption.
OFAC press release revealed that companies such as Global Liberty d.o.o. Laktasi, Agro Voce d.o.o. Laktasi, Agape Gorica Dodik and Ivana Dodik s.p. Banja Luka, and Fruit Eco d.o.o. Gradiska, which are under the ownership of Igor Dodik, Gorica Dodik or a combination of both, “benefit from public assistance due to favorable treatment resulting from their connection to the Dodik family.”
These sanctions involve freezing assets held in the U.S by these individuals and their affiliated businesses. Additionally, any transactions with them by individuals within the U.S are prohibited. All properties and interests associated with these designated individuals, whether situated in the U.S or under the control of U.S entities, are subject to these restrictions and are to be promptly reported to the OFAC.
In response to these sanctions, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, pointed out, “With the financial and political support of these designated individuals and entities, Dodik has engaged in corruption that ensures his personal financial and political stability at the expense of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) citizens living in Republika Srpska. We will continue to hold accountable those whose actions contribute to the degradation and undermining of institutions in BiH and the Western Balkans, as well as the undermining of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
Milorad Dodik, a member of Bosnia’s presidency, is known for publicly urging the unilateral transfer of state competencies from the government of Bosnia to Republika Srpska, one of the two integral entities within the framework of Bosnia. It’s worth noting that Dodik was previously sanctioned by the U.S for violating the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the conflict in 1995. Dodik’s secessionist moves were deemed to undermine the country’s fragile peace. These sanctions were announced in January of last year and in July of 2017. Dodik is also facing sanctions from the UK.
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