BOSNIA - DEMINING DIRECTOR PROVIDES LIST OF

S E C R E T SARAJEVO 000466 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR (DICARLO),EUR/SCE (HOH, FOOKS, STINCHOMB), PM/WRA, S/WCI (WILLIAMSON/LAVINE) E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/07/2013 TAGS: MASS PREL MOPS PGOV PINR KAWC BK SI SUBJECT: BOSNIA - DEMINING DIRECTOR PROVIDES LIST OF COMPANIES ALLEGEDLY SUPPORTING WAR CRIMINALS REF: A. 07 SARAJEVO 804 ¶B. 07 SARAJEVO 369 ¶C. 07 SARAJEVO 230 ¶D. 06 SARAJEVO 3102 ¶E. 06 STATE 190226 ¶F. 06 SARAJEVO 2907 Classified By: Ambassador Charles English. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) At his request, we met with Dusan Gavran, the Director of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Center (BHMAC) on March 3. (Note: BHMAC is the lead government organization overseeing demining activities. End Note) Gavran told us that he believed there was "now an opportunity" to remove all "criminal" organizations involved in both mine clearance and demining monitoring activities from the approved list of eligible recipients of USG and other international demining assistance. Gavran repeated previous assertions to us that the demining community is flush with corrupt and malfeasant actors (Reftels). He also acknowledged that he had previously "done things and supported people" that he should not have. Gavran said that by providing us with information on suspect companies, he hoped to reaffirm the trust placed in him by the USG when he secured his position in 2004. ¶2. (S) Gavran said that two particularly virulent interests had solidified their position within the demining community: organizations that supported PIFWCs and those with direct financial and organizational links to the International Trust Fund (ITF) based on Slovenia. Gavran alleged that ITF-Slovenia had established several NGOs and organizations registered in Bosnia as "front companies" and funneled donor funds to these groups through questionable tenders. Gavran provided us the list of all registered demining organizations in Bosnia with the alleged questionable organizations highlighted. Gavran claimed that he was "100 percent certain" of the culpability of the organizations. On March 6, we passed Gavran's highlighted list to the State Prosecutor's Office, and we will forward the document to OIG into aspects of demining (Ref E). ¶3. (S) According to Gavran, the following organizations as having direct links to PIFWC networks: -- Minemom d.o.o. Pale -- Zaba d.o.o. Vitez -- Detektor -- Eksploring -- PRO VITA -- Prom 1 -- UG Eko Demining -- Vilakol ¶4. (S) According to Gavran, the following organzations are "ITF Slovenia front companies": -- Trotil Monitoring -- Minoeksplosiv Deminiranje -- Mustella B&H d.o.o. Cazin -- Udruzenje Gradana Mine Action Group -- Udruga "Pazi Mine" Vitez ENGLISH