The trial of the Prime Minister of the Federation of B&H, Fadil Novalić (SDA), and other indictees in the "Respirators" affair continued today in the Court of B&H.
In addition to Novalić, FB&H Finance Minister Jelka Milićević, suspended director of the Federal Civil Protection Administration Fahrudin Solak and Fikret Hodžić, owner of the "Silver Raspberry", are also charged. They are accused of procuring 100 respirators from China worth 10.5 million KM. They are also on trial for the purchase of medical equipment worth 2.9 million KM.
Novalić, Solak and Hodžić are also accused of conspiracy to commit criminal offenses in connection with acts of abuse of position or authority, receiving a reward or other form of benefit for trading in influence.
Davor Pehar, director of the Federal Institute of Public Health, and Marina Bera, Assistant of the Federal Minister of Health for the rganization and development of the health system, testified at today's hearing.
Pehar clarified today when he was appointed as a member of the Federal Crisis Staff. When asked by prosecutor Džermin Pašić, he explained how the two documents for the plan for the procurement of medical equipment, including respirators, were created. He stated that all Public Health cantonal institutes stated what they needed from the equipment and that they were guided by that. These data do not specify the equipment specification, but only the quantity required.
- It was an urgent procurement and the budget was one million marks. I assume that these were the funds of the FB&H Government. The money was not from the Institute - said Pehar.
When asked by prosecutor Pašić, Pehar explained that there were several "requisite plans in which the amount of equipment differed". He said that the version sent to the FB&H Government expressed the need for 300 respirators. The plan does not specify that respirators must be for intensive care, but only states that they can be used for both children and adults. Pehar's answer was especially interesting, that at the session of the Crisis Staff, he did not personally present the plan that the institution he headed made, but Solak did. He also stated that the plan was adopted during a telephone session.
He also said that he was not satisfied with the dynamics of procurement, ie that the equipment was not procured on time, which he said to Novalić during a meeting.
- I asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister to find out why protective equipment for health workers is being procured slowly. This equipment was very important to protect medics from the infection. He said that "the procurement of respirators is underway" - said Pehar.
The very decision to procure these respirators, judging by Pehar's answers to the prosecutor's questions, was made strangely. He stated that some members of the crisis staff voted by e-mail, and that he personally voted by phone, without even seeing the material he was declaring about.
- I didn't even know what the decision was until I saw the respirators affair in the media - says Pehar.
Prosecutor Hukeljić asked Bera about the plan for the procurement of medical equipment, to which Solak's Defense Counsel Kadrija Kolić reacted with an objection, saying that "the prosecution is dealing with procedural fraud".
- Defender, sit down. You jump as soon as the respirators are mentioned - said Judge Begović.
Among other things, Pehar received a letter from the FCPA stating that according to the contract with "Silver Raspberry", the Institute should provide a person who will perform the technical acceptance and verification of respirators. Pehar said that such person does not exist in the Institute, nor did anyone tell him earlier that it should be done, so he did not even respond to the letter.
After the defense finished cross-examining, the judge asked the confused Novalić if he wanted to ask the witness something.
Novalić did not react, after which Judge Džemila Begović addressed him:
- You are sleeping all the time, whenever I ask you something you have late response – Judge Begović warned Novalić, who had previously briefly adjourned the trial because he pulled a glass partition out of its socket and it took him a few minutes to repair it.
Unlike Novalić, Solak had a question for Pehar. He wondered if it was strange to him that the list included only respirators for children and adults without special specifications and explanations, while the procurement of garbage cans lists five types of garbage cans of different sizes, for example five and seven liters, and when it comes to respirators just one item?
Pehar replied that he "does not know and does not remember".
In her testimony, Deputy Federal Minister of Health Marina Bera said that she was a longtime member of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Civil Protection Administration, but that she was dismissed on March 25th, like most members. She added that she found out about her dismissal from the media, and that the reason stated was "that the Crisis Staff has to many members and that it should be reduced".
- I have never received a written notice about the dismissal or the reason for the dismissal - said Bera, and explained what was discussed at the session on March 14th, when the Crisis Staff which was dismissed the next day, met for the last time.
- We discussed the procurement of personal protective equipment and 170,000 PCR tests. I sought the opinion of the professionals on the tests. There was a need for an expert, ie a microbiologist who works in the laboratory to be able to say whether these tests are applicable in our conditions - said Bera.
Prosecutor Mirza Hukeljić asked her if the FCPA had an expert who could give an answer about the validity of the tests, and she said "absolutely no".
We remind you that Aida Čorbeg, an anesthesiologist from Travnik, testified at the last hearing. She explained the circumstances of communication with Novalić's secretary Bahra Džaka, who, according to the previously presented correspondence, was interested in the quality of certain types of respirators.
So far, former director of the Public Procurement Agency of B&H Đenan Salčin, wife of Bakir Izetbegovic, president of SDA, director of KCUS Sebija Izetbegović, director of the company "Cubicus" Denis Đulalić, Novalić's secretary Bahra Džaka and Lejla Cilović Lagarija, expert associate at the Federal Institute of Public Health, have testified before the court.
The trial is due to continue on April 26th, when an analysis of documents which SIPA seized from computers during the search will be presented.
