On November 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Vladimir Perisic and the Elpring d.o.o. Laktasi (“Elpring”) for attempting to evade U.S. sanctions by supporting a corrupt patronage network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (“BiH”). According to OFAC, the patronage network is linked directly to Igor Dodik and his father Milorad Dodik, the BiH President of Republika Srpska, one of two entities that make up BiH. Milorad Dodik was designated by the U.S. in 2017 and again in 2022, for engaging in acts of corruption and actions that threaten the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement (“DPA”). The U.S. sanctioned Dodik’s adult children, Igor and Gorica, in 2023 for providing financial or material support to Dodik and supporting his efforts to use his official position to accumulate personal wealth.
According to OFAC, Perisic, who serves as the general director of U.S.-designated Prointer ITSS, allows Igor to control the company and, at Igor’s direction, allegedly engaged in a corrupt kickback scheme involving Prointer. OFAC also reported that Elpring was established at Igor’s direction to operate as a replacement for the Kaldera Company, a company that was designated by the United States in June 2024.
The designations were imposed pursuant to Executive Order 14033 for being owned or controlled by or acting on behalf of Igor Dodik, a person designated under EO 14033. As a result of these designations, all property and interests in property of the designees within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving designated persons. Entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. U.S. persons may also face civil or criminal penalties for violating EO 14033.
Following the designation of Elpring, OFAC also issued Balkans-related General License 5A to authorize certain transactions involving pumps manufactured by Kaldera or Elpring, that are solely intended for use in the treatment or distribution of drinking water. General License 5A replaces and supersedes General License 5 in its entirety.
U.S. Department of Treasury Press Release | General License 5A