Zoran Tegeltija

In 2025, the UIO selected Grand Trade, owned by Mile Radišić, as the best and sole bidder for the acquisition of buildings in Banja Luka for nearly 100 million KM. Radišić was publicly described as close to the SNSD and Milorad Dodik, fuelling political suspicions. The Pravobranilaštvo of BiH requested suspension and challenged the process. As at 8 September 2026, Tegeltija said the case was blocked before the appeals review commission and that a new decision had just been made without its effect yet being officially clarified.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

direct managerial responsibility for UIO process; no evidence of personal financial interest

Parliamentary committees opened or prepared several hearings on the UIO's operations, revenue collection and distribution, and historical corruption cases within the administration. One initiative also called for an external review of collection and redistribution mechanisms.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

institutional responsibility as UIO director

The UIO entered into a long-term leasing arrangement for 95 vehicles over several years, worth more than 5 million KM. Auditors questioned the regulatory basis and monitoring of this arrangement when the institution also owned vehicles. In 2025, approximately 1.4 million KM was spent on leasing.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

high managerial responsibility — contracts concluded under his leadership

Following a selection competition, Tegeltija appointed four new assistant or sectoral directors: two Serbs and two Croats. Bosniak candidates nevertheless appeared on several lists of successful applicants. Critics cited the constitutional principle of adequate representation of constituent peoples and emphasised that approximately 220 Bosniak employees would be needed to achieve the balance sought. In August 2026, the press reported that the BiH prosecutor's office had been examining the competition for several months.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

direct — appointment decisions signed by Tegeltija

The Audit Office of the Institutions of BiH placed the UIO among institutions receiving a qualified opinion for 2025 because of weaknesses in public procurement and monitoring of framework agreements. According to press analysis of the detailed audit, the report also identified 197 employees or civil servants recruited on fixed-term contracts without competition and the continuation of practices highlighted in previous years.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

high managerial responsibility — full financial year under Tegeltija's leadership

The UIO's 2024 audit identified further weaknesses in public procurement, monitoring of framework agreements and workforce management. It also highlighted extremely low implementation of certain investments: less than 4% of substantial allocations, including over 100 million KM intended for the headquarters and Banja Luka regional centre.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

high managerial responsibility — full year under his leadership

As State Finance Minister and ex officio chairman of the UIO Governing Board, Tegeltija applied for the position of director of that same administration. The selection commission ranked him first and awarded him the maximum score. A competing candidate, Auditor-General Dževad Nekić, challenged the scoring and announced criminal complaints, describing the process as a conflict of interest. Tegeltija was nevertheless appointed by the Council of Ministers on 18 May and took office on 15 June 2023.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

direct — applicant and ex officio Governing Board chairman; he maintains that he withdrew from the selection commission

The 2023 UIO audit identified compliance weaknesses affecting staff management, assignments, temporary appointments and fixed-term contracts. Tegeltija took over midway through the financial year, limiting attribution of earlier practices to him.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

partial responsibility — Tegeltija only became director on 15 June 2023

The Council of Ministers chaired by Tegeltija operated for extended periods under temporary financing arrangements and produced limited legislation amid deadlock between parties and entities. Press investigations and High Representative reports criticised its performance. Two no-confidence initiatives against Tegeltija were put to a vote in 2021 but failed.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

high but shared government responsibility within a fragmented coalition

Slow procurement of Covid-19 vaccines prompted demonstrations and strong criticism of Bosnian governments. Citizens and physician Bakir Nakaš initiated proceedings implicating several officials, including Tegeltija, over alleged negligence in the public health response.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers — health powers largely decentralised

The Sarajevo Municipal Court fined Tegeltija 500 KM for failure to enforce a judicial decision concerning the status and reinstatement of six individuals. Tegeltija lodged an objection. In November 2021, Detektor reported that the fine had not been paid by the then-known deadline.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

direct personal responsibility as Chairman of the Council of Ministers

After Defence Minister Sifet Podžić cancelled or postponed a bilateral military exercise with Serbia, citing the health situation among other reasons, Tegeltija called for his dismissal, considering that he had made the decision without adequate consultation. The House of Representatives rejected the request on 26 October 2021.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

direct political responsibility — Tegeltija formally requested dismissal

The audit of Republika Srpska's 2017 budget execution identified serious deficiencies. The actual deficit was estimated at approximately 175 million KM, compared with approximately 45 million in the ministry's presentation, and the audit noted that the government had contracted certain loans in the names of funds and institutions. Chief Auditor Duško Šnjegota subsequently resigned amid intense political pressure.

State of the evidence

Established

Attribution

direct ministerial responsibility — Tegeltija headed the ministry that prepared the disputed budget information

Bobar Banka closed in 2014 and Banka Srpske was liquidated in 2016 following substantial losses. The Banking Agency of Republika Srpska's supervision came under criticism. Transparency International subsequently won a legal case establishing that the agency had unlawfully withheld certain information about Banka Srpske. The period also covered public recapitalisation of the former Balkan Investment Bank, which became Banka Srpske.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

institutional and shared — Finance Minister without operational authority to supervise individual banks

In 2012, the Republika Srpska government established the public company Nikola Tesla to develop, among other things, a textile industry and electric vehicle production. In April 2013, the Assembly granted, on the government's proposal, an unconditional guarantee of up to 12 million KM; the IRB had also provided 5 million KM. Finance Minister Zoran Tegeltija publicly defended the project and declared that he would take personal responsibility if it failed. The announced projects failed to meet their objectives, the company accumulated losses and unpaid liabilities, and a criminal investigation subsequently targeted its director Dragan Vučetić for abuse of office and commercial fraud.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

high government and financial responsibility — Finance Minister who defended the guarantees; alleged misconduct attributed primarily to director Dragan Vučetić

E-RAOP equipment valued at approximately 8 million KM was sold to Electro-Engineering for 1.25 million KM. A CIN investigation stated that it had found no government decision explicitly authorising the sale, only an earlier decision allowing the machinery to be made available. The purchasing company reportedly did not pay the full price and resold some machines as scrap. One of its owners subsequently became Tegeltija's son-in-law.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

direct — Tegeltija, then RS Finance Minister, signed the sale contract