Bosnia indicts regional PM, three others on graft over ventilators' purchase

Finance Minister Jelka Milicevic, who, the prosecution says, enabled the ventilators' purchase, is accused of negligence. The other three - Federation Prime Minister Fadil Novalic, Fahrudin Solak, an official in charge of procuring equipment to combat the outbreak, and Fikret Hodzic, the Srebrena Malina manager - face corruption and embezzlement charges.

Bosnia's state prosecutors on Friday indicted four people, including a regional premier and a regional finance minister, over the purchase of defective ventilators for COVID-19 patients, the prosecution said in a statement.

All four named in the case deny any wrong-doing. The allegations have caused outcry in Bosnia, where thousands took to the streets in May to protest against bad governance and corruption. Bosnia company Srebrena Malina, a raspberry-processing firm with no licence to import medical equipment, was chosen by the crisis headquarters of Bosnia's autonomous Bosniak-Croat Federation to import the Chinese ventilators when the pandemic took hold in April and rules on procurement were relaxed.

The relaxation allowed for direct bargaining with suppliers rather than via public tender. Finance Minister Jelka Milicevic, who, the prosecution says, enabled the ventilators' purchase, is accused of negligence.

The other three - Federation Prime Minister Fadil Novalic, Fahrudin Solak, an official in charge of procuring equipment to combat the outbreak, and Fikret Hodzic, the Srebrena Malina manager - face corruption and embezzlement charges. These three were questioned and detained in May following findings the ventilators could not be used for adequate treatment of patients in intensive-care units. At the time, the court decided to release them from custody.

The prosecutors accuse the trio of associating for criminal purposes, abusing authorities, receiving bribes, laundering money and forging or destroying official records related to the purchase of 100 ventilators for 10.5 million Bosnian marka ($6.5 million) and other medical equipment worth 2.9 million marka. Solak, who headed the Federation's civil protection authority that recruited Srebrena Malina to procure the ventilators from China, was suspended in May after the criminal enquiry was launched.

(1$ = 1.610 Bosnian marka)