The trial of Federal Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and others in the "Respirators" affair continued today at the Court of B&H.
Criminal proceedings are being conducted in connection with the procurement of 100 respirators worth 10,530,000 KM, which were imported from China by the company "Srebrena malina" owned by Fikret Hodžić for the needs of the Federal Administration of Civil Protection.
At the previous hearing, which was held on March 24th, the director of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, Sebija Izetbegović, testified.
In addition to Izetbegović's Prime Minister Fadil Novalić, FB&H Minister of Finance Jelka Milićević, suspended director of the Federal Administration of Civil Protection Fahrudin Solak and owner of the company "Srebrena malina" Fikret Hodžić are also accused of the disputed purchase of respirators.
Bahra Džaka, an employee of Prime Minister Novalić's office, testified at today's hearing. She requested that the media not publish her name and photo, which the court panel refused. She asked for it because her parents were old and she did not explain to them that she would testify, but the court was of the opinion that there was no legal basis to testify anonymously.
Prior to the interrogation of the witness, a controversy broke out between the prosecutors and the defense over the evidence that was not announced for this hearing, which is why the defendants objected, believing that the entire set of evidence, including Džaka's testimony, could be "poisonous fruit".
Also, the defense objected that the prosecutors did not announce what evidence they would use at the hearing. The court replied that it would comment on the objections on the fly.
When asked by prosecutor Mirza Hukeljić, Džaka explained with whom she communicated by phone, viber and e-mail on Novalić's orders. She added that she has been employed in the Prime Minister's Office since 2007 and that she performs administrative and technical tasks, ie directs mail and documentation that comes to the Office from ministries and other bodies.
- There is an office where the post office is opened and papers are recorded and given to the office for signature. My colleague and I have access to the official e-mail address. We receive a lot of e-mails and mail, it is recorded and printed for inspection by the director of the Office of the Prime Minister - stated Džaka.
Fikret Hodžić sent offers for respirators to the official e-mail of the Prime Minister's Office, and Džaka talked to him privately, because, as she stated, she wanted to be informed if Novalić asked her for information. Džaka confirmed that she communicated with Hodžić unofficially because she was personally, and not professionally, interested in the specifications of the respirators in order to get to know the matter better and prepare the Prime Minister. She said that on her own initiative she sent certain offers for the same reason to a friend who is a doctor in Travnik as well as a certain Vildana, who is the secretary of Sebija Izetbegović.
- I do not know Fikret Hodžić personally, but we have communicated several times by phone, viber and e-mail. In April, I saw him in person once when he was leaving the FB&H Government building. That was after our telephone conversations - stated Džaka.
The prosecutor asked her where Hodzić's number came from, and Džaka replied that she was "qualified“ for finding numbers and that she has more than 5,000 contacts in the phone book. Hukelić then asked when the first mail arrived from Hodžić, and Džaka said that it happened on the evening of March 31st, and it contained an offer for medical equipment and the specifications of that equipment, which Džaka sent for protocol.
- I received the mail from Novalić's e-mail and it was forwarded to the Institute of Public Health because it concerned medical equipment. I think it was recorded and submitted for signature to the director of the Office of the Prime Minister. I talked to Hodžić, because those were some alternative ways to get respirators. Also, I conveyed to the Prime Minister what it is about - stated Džaka.
Prosecutor Hukeljić presented the witness with an e-mail she received from Hodžić, which contained an offer for complete medical equipment. The report showed that Hodžić offered invasive and non-invasive respirators.
She also did not know whether Hodžić and Novalić had communicated with each other.
Among other things, the prosecutor presented the witness with a Viber message between her and Novalić, and before that he asked her if she was aware of any other offer for respirators other than Hodžić's.
"Good morning, offer „Canada“ was sent at 8 yesterday and is on Professor Izetbegović's desk"
Novalić answers with "OK", and in the continuation he writes "Gone to Fikret, everything is ok".
The witness said that she did not know what the offer "Canada" was and that the paper was mistakenly sent to KCUS from Novalić's desk by courier.
In response to numerous questions, Džaka said that she spoke with Hodžić on her own initiative, although that is not the practice in the Prime Minister's Office. She justified that with the emergency situation in the country.
Hukelić also presented Džaka with Viber correspondence between her and Novalić, and the contents of one of the messages was:
"The condition has changed, Fikret notifies that he can keep 400 non-invasive respirators for up to 12 hours". Below this message, Džaka sent Novalić a photo of this type of respirators.
Novalić, Solak and Hodžić are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal offenses related to acts of abuse of position or authority, receiving a reward or other form of benefit for trading in influence.
The indictment also charges them with money laundering, falsification or destruction of business or trade books or documents, falsification of official documents and violation of the obligation to keep trade or business books and compile financial reports and their falsification or destruction.
Milićević is accused of negligent work in the service.
