The joint appearance of Elmedin Konaković and Nermin Nikšić on the local media outlet Raport was designed to "smooth over" the strained relations between coalition partners. Instead, the on-camera performance exposed Konaković's delusion to continue at all costs with a harmful and unnecessary purchase, and robbed BH Telecom, headed by a cadre of his party, Amel Kovačević.

Not 200, just 100

Konaković stated that the purchase of Telemach should continue under new conditions, namely at a price lower by 100 million KM compared to the original offer. He tried to present this as the current government's concern about "saving public money" and protecting interests from the harmful influence of Serbian media. In reality, he unconsciously admitted to the robbery.

Konaković insists on concluding a harmful agreement because he naively believes that as Minister of Foreign Affairs he has no formal, and therefore no criminal responsibility for this robbery. He does not understand that material evidence and media appearances like this, in which he clearly indicates that he is directing the process, matter.

By insisting that the price is now "reduced by 100 million," Konaković is actually publicly admitting that the original plan was an attempt to overpay Telemach by 200 million marks, while now he insists on overpaying "only" the remaining 100 million KM.

That he is directing the process was shown by the fact that he said he had already discussed it with the responsible Minister of Transport and Communications of the Federation of BiH, Adrijana Katić. On the other hand, Prime Minister and the minister's superior Nikšić said he has not yet discussed the issue with the responsible minister.

The actors in this harmful purchase hide the total price of Telemach under the guise of business secrecy, but it is estimated that it could range between 600 and 750 million KM.

Nikšić's "concerns"

During the appearance, Nikšić also unconsciously admitted and expressed willingness to accept overpaying Telemach, "if necessary," because on the market "you don't get anything below price," as Konaković announced just a few minutes earlier in the same show.

"I told the BH Telecom Management that maybe we also have to overpay it in order to prevent someone regional from entering." This math, where despite a finding of overpricing of 200 million a "discount" of 100 million is offered, and the Prime Minister accepts overpayment, is public haggling and extraction of at least another 100 million KM from a corrupt deal.

As his greatest concern, Nikšić did not highlight the theft of citizen money, but rather how to shift the responsibility for concluding a harmful deal to the BH Telecom Management. "It's not us who determine how much something will cost," he stated.

He tried to reduce the role of himself as Prime Minister and the FBiH Government to a political body, which "only makes a political decision," or which will agree with the deal as the BH Telecom Management agrees to it. He also added that he thinks he has solved the problem with audit firms that found price overpricing.

After this, the Prosecution should investigate the attempted fraud by the FBiH Government and the brazen robbery of BH Telecom shareholders.

Economically senseless purchase is "a stone around the neck"

How market "attractive" the purchase of Telemach is is shown by the fact that, apart from Konaković and Nikšić, there is not a single other buyer on the market interested in discussing the acquisition of a company burdened with outdated technology and legal disputes.

Economic analyst Igor Gavran warns that taking over Telemach is tying a stone around the neck of BH Telecom, even if it were purchased at a realistic, market price. Telemach requires enormous investments because many of its users still have routers from 2017. That is, from a technological perspective, the Stone Age, Gavran emphasizes.

BH Telecom would have to use that money for its own infrastructure and the construction of a 5G network, which exists everywhere in Europe except in BiH, while the civilized world is already planning a 6G sixth generation network. Namely, BiH is the only country in Europe without a 5G fifth generation internet network, except for war-torn Ukraine.

Gavran also highlights the risk of open lawsuits and legal proceedings within Telemach. Also, at a time when the FBiH Government is excessively indebted, the purchase would be financed by enormous debt of BH Telecom itself, and the total burden on citizens would explode, Gavran emphasizes.

Gavran assesses the argument that BH Telecom will take over Telemach's users with this purchase as unrealistic. Users with old equipment would themselves switch to BH Telecom if offered a better and more modern alternative, without the risk of takeover and the burden of this failed company, he emphasizes.

While competition develops 5G, BH Telecom, due to debt, will be raising the lagging Telemach to the level where others are today, and due to major obligations will not be able to compete with anyone on price. In the end, Gavran sends the message that casually bidding hundreds of millions and "halving" the amount of overpricing is "shameful mockery of the intelligence of taxpayers."