Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating two individuals and four entities that form a core part of Specially Designated National (SDN) and Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik’s patronage network. Members of this network, which include Dodik’s adult children, facilitate Dodik’s ongoing corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) RS entity, allowing him to siphon public funds from the RS and enrich himself and his family at the expense of BiH citizens and functional governance in the country.
Dodik previously served as a member of BiH’s Presidency and is widely known for openly calling for, and supporting, the unilateral transfer of state competencies from the BiH government to the RS, one of two entities that comprise BiH. Dodik has used his official BiH position and a network of personal ties and companies to accumulate personal wealth through graft, bribery, and other forms of corruption. His divisive ethno-nationalistic rhetoric reflects his efforts to advance these political goals and divert attention from his corrupt activities. Additionally, Dodik has publicly denigrated other ethnic and religious groups within BiH, further sowing division and political gridlock.
“With the financial and political support of the individuals and entities designated today, Dodik has engaged in corruption that ensures his personal financial and political stability at the expense of BiH citizens living in Republika Srpska,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.
The United States designated Dodik on January 5, 2022 pursuant to E.O. 14033 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in, a violation of, or an act that has obstructed or threatened the implementation of, the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), as well as for corrupt activities. The United States also previously designated Dodik on July 17, 2017pursuant to E.O. 13304 for obstructing the DPA.
Today’s designations build on prior U.S. sanctions and visa restrictions designed to promote accountability for persons who contribute to corruption and undermine democratic processes or institutions. These actions are part of the U.S. government’s wider efforts to promote peace, stability, and functional democratic governance in the Western Balkans region.
Since 2021, Dodik has increased the involvement of his son, Igor Dodik (Igor), and daughter, Gorica Dodik (Gorica), in political and business activities within the RS, causing concern that the RS was becoming more like a Dodik family business rather than a political entity of BiH.
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