Prosecutors from the Special Court in Bosnia’s predominantly Serb political entity, Republika Srpska, allege that Copic laundered money for indicted Serbian drug lord Darko Saric.
In the series “Man in the Middle,” OCCRP investigated the then little known Copic looking at his businesses, allegations of money laundering, and his string of privatizations in Bosnia and Serbia that violated his agreements with privatization authorities.
Copic has been in custody since April. Ljubo Mrđen, director of Copic’s Banja Luka-based firm Agrocoop and Drago Nižol, director of Copic’s Avio Rent company were also named in the indictment.
Prosecutors say that from the end of 2008 through the first half of 2011, Copic laundered money for Saric through a string of offshore companies and Serbian banks.
The indictment alleges that Saric is the mastermind of a major Balkan drug network responsible for trafficking narcotics from South America to Europe. Saric remains a fugitive.
According to the indictment, Copic laundered over 20 million Bosnian Marks (€10 million). Prosecutors allege that the money was invested into Copic’s businesses, including a sugar factory in that he owns in the northern Bosnian city of Bijeljina.
Following his arrest in April, the judicial authorities of Republika Srpska shut down Copic’s sugar factory and blocked shares in his company worth €9.2 million and €454,000 of another company, DTM Relations.
Police also seized Copic’s personal property including a Cessna plane worth €158,000, a house in Banja Luka worth €117,000 and an Audi A6.
Dragica Tojagić, a spokesperson for the Special Prosecutor’s Office said that the District Court in Banja Luka has 15 days to approve or reject the indictment.
