FEDERATION GOVT HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF WORK OF COMMODITY STOCKPILES BOARD

STOCKPILES BOARD ( Editorial: --> 8975 ) SARAJEVO, 7 Nov (Hina) - All commodity trade operations through the State Board for Commodity Stockpiles of Bosnia-Herzegovina are being carried out without the knowledge of Croat officials, said the Finance Minister of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Drago Bilandzija. In an interview published in Friday's issue of the Sarajevo-based daily 'Oslobodjenje', Bilandzija warned that the embezzlement of 35 million German marks had been proven, as well as the embezzlement of DM 43 million, which were earlier recorded in the findings of an investigation carried out by European Commission experts. "The Federation Government had no knowledge of the work of the Commodity Stockpiles Board, or the entry or exit of donations, either in this or in the year before it," Bilandzija said. He also said that he, along with all other Croat ministers, had been completely left out in decision-making concerning trade. Protocols on import and sale of goods had been signed by Hasan Muratovic and a former finance minister, Mirsad Kikanovic, but it was unclear on what basis they had been authorised to sign them, Bilandzija said. "As far as we know, the discovered cases of embezzlement and smuggling are only the tip of the iceberg....everything points to the fact that this smooth-running chain of abuse of office and customs and tax payment evasion also includes those people, who, in any normal state, should be preventing it," Bilandzija said. (hina) jn rm 071608 MET nov 97