Krik: Hamović had 12,5 million francs in his account in Switzerland

The well-known electricity trader Vuk Hamović had an account in the Swiss bank "Credit Suisse" with 12,5 million francs (about 11,5 million euros), according to data leaked in the international project "Swiss Secrets". Hamović did not want to answer the questions of OCCRP journalists regarding this bill.

Hamović opened an account in Switzerland in 2006, according to data leaked as part of the international journalistic investigation "Swiss Secrets". The largest amount on the account was in October 2015 – 12,5 million Swiss francs (about 11,5 million euros).

The Credit Suisse bank did not respond to journalists' questions about specific accounts or clients, only saying that it "operates in accordance with all global and local laws and regulations."

Hamović gained business experience at the head of Yugoslav state energy companies. After the collapse of the country in the XNUMXs, Hamović traded in electricity and debts of newly formed companies in the former Yugoslav states and thus acquired a large fortune. He did business through his company "Energy Financing Team (EFT)".

This well-known businessman was never charged with any crime, but his business attracted the attention of prosecutors and investigators in several countries.

In 2004, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina published a report stating that there are indications that Hamović was involved in the misuse of money through his company, when he gave short-term loans to Elektroprivreda Montenegro with large commissions. The investigation was suspended due to a lack of evidence and because the case was taken over by the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO). After a year, the SFO closed the investigation.

Several years later, as reported by the Sarajevo Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN), EFT's debt trading was investigated by the United Kingdom's Serious Fraud Office, USAID, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia's prosecutor's office. However, no one accused Hamović of any criminal offence.

Hamović's son Miloš Hamović is mentioned in the indictment brought against Zoran Ćopić by the Special Prosecutor's Office in Republika Srpska in 2011 for laundering the cocaine money of the drug lord Darko Šarić's group. According to the indictment, in 2009, Ćopić arranged a transfer of around 250.000 euros with Miloš Hamović and other immovable persons from companies in the British Virgin Islands, Delaware and Cyprus. EFT told CIN at the time that Hamović had never heard of Ćopić nor had any business or other relations with him.

Vuk Hamović's name was also mentioned in other major international journalistic projects, such as the "Panama Papers", which revealed his business partnership with businessman Zoran Drakulic.