Sanjin Halimović

Sanjin Halimović
File:Sanjin Halimović.jpg
Minister of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts
In office 17 March 2011 – 16 March 2015
Prime Minister	Nermin Nikšić
Preceded by	Velimir Kunić
Succeeded by	Amir Zukić
Mayor of Sanski Most
In office 2004–2011
Succeeded by	Mustafa Avdagić
Personal details
Born	(1969-05-31) 31 May 1969 Sanski Most, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SSSR
Nationality	Bosniak
Political party	SDA
Spouse(s)	Samila
Children	4
Alma mater	University of Sarajevo
Religion	Sunni Islam

Sanjin Halimović (born 31 May 1969) is a Bosnian politician. He served as the mayor of his hometown Sanski Most for seven years beginning in 2004. Halimović is the former Vice President of the Party of Democratic Action and was the Minister of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2011 until 2015.

Biography

Sanjin Halimović was born in the Bosanska Krajina city of Sanski Most to Bosniak parents, while Bosnia and Herzegovina was a part of Communist Yugoslavia at the time. He attended the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Sarajevo, graduating in 1996 and earning his Master's degree in 2000. During postgraduate studies, Halimović resided in the Netherlands and Hanover, Germany.

He defended a Doctoral thesis at the Veterinary Faculty in Sarajevo in 2007 and became an assistant professor at the University of Bihać. Halimović currently serves as a consultant for the Veterinary Department of the Una-Sana Canton, and a lecturer at the Bio-technical Faculty in Bihać.

In addition to his native Bosnian, he speaks German and English.

Political career

Controversies

Between 2004 and 2010, Halimović served as the mayor of Sanski Most, his hometown. During his tenure, he toured the world, often travelling up to 150 days annually, instead of governing. Also during his time as mayor, he issued all the necessary paperwork and approvals for the construction of luxury cottages in the village of Čaplje in Sanski Most, which he claimed showed his "initiative to craft".

Controversy arose when it was reported that Halimović's wife Samila was illegally hired as a personal adviser to the President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Živko Budimir on 11 March 2013, only due to the fact that her husband was a friend of Budimir's and not due to her qualifications.

In April 2013, it was reported by some Bosnian media that Halimović was among the 18 arrested when Živko Budimir and 18 others were arrested under accusation that they were part of corrupt activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Budimir, together with his adviser Petar Barišić and Hidajet Halilović, the head of the entity’s amnesty commission, were charged with taking bribes to approve amnesties for people sentenced for crimes such as attempted murder.

On 20 May 2013, it was reported that on 22 April 2013 he had purchased a brand new luxury Volkswagen Passat for 63,000 KM (about $44,000) from an auto dealer in Mostar, and that the car was to be delivered directly to his home within 40 days of purchase.

2014 riots

During the 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, protesters burned down part of his "weekend home", a cottage in the Sanski Most village of Čaplje right next to the Sana river. Part of the cottage was saved by firefighters.