Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
Source: Jutarnji list
Author: Gordana Grgas
Before the definitive end, Digitel was marked by the adventure related to the 21. Stoljeće daily newspaper. Although Roksandić claimed he had no ownership ties with this project, which was initiated by Miran Dan company, owned by media veteran Marjan Jurlek, he had heavily negotiated about it with Jurlek. Back then, however (it was the second half of 2012) Digitel did not have enough capital, but had supported the project “in kind”, through agency services. Roksandić often spent time in the newsroom and, according to the testimony of journalists, he decided what would be published. Allegedly, he even offered Jurleka to find some financial resources.
The newspaper was launched at a time when HBOR approved a loan to the Digitel Communications, so it was rumored that Roksandić was actually intending to finance the 21. Stoljeće that way, but Vince denies it. That loan, he says, was supposed to be part of the company’s much needed financial restructuring. In any case, soon the project fell apart, and the debts remained, among others those to journalists and to Digitel. Th 2013 was a dramatic year, and anyone who didn’t understand the trouble that Digitel was most certainly figured it out then. Several rounds of financial and business restructuring negotiations were conducted, and Digitel Group was founded. First round was led by Marko Slunjski on behalf of Sense Consulting. Then there were negotiations that they be acquired by the competitor, Unex agency, and when this as well ended in a fiasco, a series of pre-bankruptcy procedures were launched.
Initially, Roksandic was actively involved – he persuaded newspapers, TV companies and banks to write off debts and / or enter into DMS ownership and assured them in the credibility of business plans, but key suppliers and old acquaintances (Nova TV, RTL, Styria and EPH) refused. Trade payables amounted to HRK 95.6 million, and in the category of “difficult receivables” there was HRK 61 million (related to receivables from affiliated companies), there were also huge liabilities due to co-loans and guarantees … At the end, HT canceled the key contract and the whole construction collapsed like a house of cards.
Bankruptcy of the DMS is still ongoing in Zagreb, and the bankruptcy trustee is in a dispute with PBZ over the debt of HRK 7.1 million. Digitel Communications in Osijek are awaiting the final end and deleting from the court registry. For this company, a pre-bankruptcy agreement was settled with about HRK 100 million of claims, of which half refers to RBA and Sberbank, but this settlement became valid only in 2016 due to Sberbank’s appeal. However, the company was already clinically dead, with 75 percent stake being claimed by RBA on the basis of a loan of HRK 30 million…
What is Roksandić doing now
The other Digitel companies are mostly gone, but still active is D ulaganja (D investment) where Roksandić is named as founder since last year, but now with an American address. According to data of Poslovna Hrvatska, in 2016 this company had only financial income, and short term liabilities of HRK 70 million.
This brings us to the question – what is Roksandić actually doing today? Official tracks point to two more business engagements, far beyond the marketing or PR context. He is the Chairman of the Board at the Infinity Resort Zadar tourism company, founded in the beginning of last year, which includes a car camp (among the founders is the American Investment Partners, a firm based in the Netherlands), and he’s the President of the Sense Esco Supervisory Board for Energy Efficiency Projects, representing the interests of US investors. According to the available data, he is not a co-owner of these companies, which would mean that he’s still selling managerial wisdom, only now to foreign investors.