Dodik's inner circle linked to multi-million euro real estate deals in Slovenian resort

Individuals from the inner circle of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, many of whom are under US sanctions for corruption and misuse of public funds, have become owners of multiple holiday properties in Slovenia over the past decade.

As previously reported, one of these properties includes a two-story villa with a swimming pool located in the heart of Portoroz, according to an investigative article by uncensored.si.

Since 2022, the official owner of the villa has been Djordje Djuric, a 35-year-old Serbian businessman who was sanctioned by the United States in June last year due to his close business ties with Igor Dodik, Milorad Dodik’s son. According to the US authorities, Djuric allegedly helped Igor transfer millions of dollars from Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad.

But this appears to be only the tip of the iceberg. Just a short distance from this villa, two additional high-value properties have been identified, purchased by individuals from Dodik’s circle.

These are apartments previously linked by Bosnian media to the late Slobodan Stankovic, a long-time close associate of Milorad Dodik. Stankovic owned the construction company Integral from Laktasi, the same town where the Dodik family originates.

Integral received lucrative government contracts without public tenders. For years, Stankovic’s yacht docked in Portoroz served as a gathering place for the political and economic elite of Republika Srpska and their Slovenian business partners.

So, who exactly has been found in Portoroz? Where did the millions of euros come from for the real estate purchases? And are the properties used by Dodik’s family for holidays?

Portoroz Villa: Where Djuric goes, Dodik follows

Igor Dodik did not respond to inquiries. He was asked whether he is the true owner of the Portoroz villa and whether he had negotiated its purchase with Djuric, his brother-in-law.

However, some facts are indisputable:

Igor Dodik has been visiting Portoroz. He was reportedly there in mid-June. This information was provided to necenzurirano.si by a reliable source, including a photo, which could not be published to protect the source’s identity.

Djuric maintains close business ties with Igor Dodik. All companies where Djuric has held a directorial or ownership role are closely linked to the Dodik family’s business operations, both in Republika Srpska and in Serbia.

Until June last year, when he was sanctioned alongside Igor Dodik, Djuric owned several media and IT companies in Republika Srpska that secured major government contracts, reportedly due to his connections with Dodik.

In Serbia, where he is a permanent resident, Djuric owned two companies connected to one of the biggest scandals during Dodik’s administration.

In 2010, the Republika Srpska government sold 50% of the Boska shopping center in Banja Luka for around 1.5 million Bosnian marks (approximately €750,000) to the company Zekstra, which was later taken over by Djuric’s company Kaboss Pro.

Djuric was supposed to invest an additional 10 million marks (approximately €5 million) in renovating Boska, but that never happened. In fact, Djuric benefited even more: the Investment-Development Bank of Republika Srpska bought Boska bonds for 14 million marks (approximately €7 million), which were never repaid. Today, the shopping centre houses a restaurant owned by Dodik’s daughter, Gorica Dodik.

Lucija apartments: Did a deceased tycoon foot the bill?

Djuric is not the only businessman suspected of being a front for Dodik’s circle. Similar questions surround Rade Coric, former owner of the construction company RSB Plus, reports uncensored.si.

Previously reported, the now-defunct RSB Plus, in addition to the Portoroz villa now owned by Djuric, purchased two apartments in the Rezidenca Park Lucija complex. Each apartment measures about 71 square meters.

The key question remains: How did a company with annual revenues of only a few thousand euros afford properties worth over 4 million KM (approximately €2 million)?

Bosnian media have long connected the purchase of these apartments with the late Slobodan Stankovic, likely the most influential tycoon from Republika Srpska, who also had significant ambitions in Slovenia. In autumn 2022, the U.S. sanctioned both Stanković and his company Integral Inzenjering for "material assistance, sponsorship, or provision of financial, material, or technological support to Milorad Dodik."

One of the two Lucija apartments was purchased by RSB Plus from Genadiy Baharev, an Uzbekistani business partner of Stankovic. Shortly after, Baharev also sold Stankovic a yacht anchored in Portoroz.

Portoroz yacht: When a million-euro debt disappears overnight

RSB Plus later sold one of the apartments. In 2016, the company seriously considered purchasing the Marita Hotel in Portoroz. It paid a deposit of 600,000 marks (approximately €300,300), but the auction was ultimately won by the company Nevada Turizam with a bid of 12.6 million marks (approximately €6.3 million).

At the time, the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Mektic, publicly revealed that Stankovic owned a yacht in Portoroz. He posed questions to the public about the ownership of the yacht, who was celebrating aboard, and who had to relinquish the right to use it after a dispute.