In 2003, a farm in Ratkovo, near the place Odzaci, was sold at the auction to the Consortium composed of 12 members, made by company directors, and individuals like wife of the judge of the Municipal Court in Odzaci, Ms Vesna Cvetanovic, Director of “Alfa promet” Mr. Borislav Lilic, who, in short time, after purchasing three cooperatives came into a possession of a nearly six thousand acres, Director of “Novosadska mlekara” Mr. Bratislav Banjanac and others.

Ratkovo had two thousand acres of arable land, orchards, cattle and brickworks. Despite the advanced privatization preparation, the management decided to push Ratkovo into bankruptcy in order to buy it at a lower price with its partners. The bankruptcy was hindered by the workers, but the partnership snatching of the property was not. Brutality of the method is visible trough the contract made in 2000 when Director of Ratkovo, Mr. Nikola Kapetanov and Mr. Bratislav Banjanc purchased a combine harvester ‘’john deer’’ trough Mr. Lilic’s company for five million mercantile corn.

In other words, a harvester worth 90 thousand euros was paid a million! The contract stipulated that in the course of three years, the period of time payments, Mr. Lilic’s company rented a harvester to the third party collecting a profit. Who would buy a car on a hire purchase, accepting to receive it after couple of years, during which time the car would serve as a cab and bring profit to a seller!? Ratkovo is also known by a cattle slaughter and neglected arable land. Workers experienced the same treatment.

The ones who spoke, got fired, even being on a sick leave, and President of the Independence Union got sacked too. On account of the unpaid years of service workers claim the incredible thousand years. Nobody reacted to criminal charges brought in Odzaci. Acting Director Mr. Tomislav Zonic took actions to push Ratkovo into bankruptcy. Although he was quickly replaced, he used the company seal in an unauthorized manner, and filed a petition with the Court of Commerce in Sombor for bankruptcy opening. Workers proved that Mr. Zonic was an unauthorized person and the Court refused his request.

Everything would end well, had it not been for judge Biljana Nastic who sent the Court’s decision to Mr. Zonic (!), instead of the auctioneers. And while Mr. Zonic was hiding the decision, former Director Mr. Kapetanov and his collaborator Mr. Milisav Mijailovic, took 540 acres of wheat to Mr. Dimitrije Loncar (present owner of Ratkovo as well), despite the warning of the Agency for privatization from Novi Sad forbidding any sale prior to the auction. Mr. Kapetanov handed 40 cows weighing 300 kilos each from the company’s primary herd to Mr. Loncar.

Privatization was concluded by the Agency in Belgrade. The Agency refused the objection of the auctioneers that 18 acres of orchards, making 10 million dinars profit in the year of privatization, were rated as uncultivable land. Since the company was ruined, the only participant at the auction was the Consortium that crashed Ratkovo. The Consortium did not accept the starting price of 32 million dinars, but in a second round they bought it for the formerly blocked foreign currency savings accounts.

Till today, the Agency did not advise the minority auctioneers on the selling price of their company. 

Ms Verica Barac,
President of the Council