FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

At 8:00am EST Momcilo “Momo” Mandic, Milovan “Cicko” Bjelica, ManCo Oil Company and Privredna Banka Sarajevo ad were designated under the Western Balkans Executive Order 13219 for their financial and material support of Radovan Karadzic a Person Indicted for War Crimes (PIFWCs) by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This assistance has enabled Radovan Karadzic to elude prosecution by the ICTY, thereby obstructing implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords. 

In July 1995, Radovan Karadzic was indicted by the ICTY on 16 counts including genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes that were perpetrated against the civilian population and against places of worship throughout the territory of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, crimes relating to the sniping campaign against civilians in Sarajevo and crimes relating to the taking of UN peacekeepers as hostages. Radovan Karadzic led the slaughter of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats. The UN reported that his murder squads killed up to 6,000 Muslims at Srebrenica in July 1995 “in order to kill, terrorize and demoralize the Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat population.” He shelled the city of Sarajevo and used 284 UN peacekeepers as human shields in May and June 1995. After the Dayton accord in November 1995, which ended the Bosnian war, the former nationalist president went into hiding - possibly in the mountainous south eastern area of the Serb-controlled part of Bosnia, and protected by paramilitaries.

Momcilo Mandic is a major funding source for Radovan Karadzic through Mandic’s control of an elaborate network of criminal enterprises engaged in embezzlement, business fraud, fictitious loans, and various other activities that generate funds to financially support the protection of Karadzic. Mandic’s influence in the Republic of Srpska, BiH allows him to control the privatization process which he uses to support the protection of Karadzic.

Mandic supports the protection of PIFWCs through his control and influence over the RS Judiciary, the RS Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), and the RS Intelligence Service. A former RS Justice Minister and Deputy MUP Minister, Momcilo Mandic commanded and gave orders to special police units and other forces involved in ethnic cleansing operations against non-Serbs. Momcilo Mandic has coordinated with the present RS Intelligence Chief to facilitate OBS operations and to fund the movement and protection of Persons Indicted for War Crimes.

Momcilo Mandic owns ManCo Oil Company and Privredna Banka Sarajevo ad. Mandic uses ManCo Oil Company to provide funding for the protection of Karadzic. Mandic also uses Privredna Banka Sarajevo ad to provide financial support to Karadzic and Karadzic's security detail. Radovan Karadzic uses Privredna Banka Sarajevo ad to launder money in and out of BiH.

Milovan Bjelica is also a major source of money and manpower for the protection of Radovan Karadzic through Bjelica’s key part in the channeling of funds from privately owned businesses toward the protection of Karadzic. Bjelica, a long time friend and business associate of Karadzic, presides over a network of legal and illegal businesses that are also used to provide for the protection of Karadzic.

Milovan Bjelica controls special security and intelligence units charged with protecting Persons Indicted for War Crimes. Karadzic is still believed to control political and illegal activities in the RS, and both Karadzic and Bjelica are said to directly control parts of the RS Intelligence Service.