Bosniak-Croat Federation’s premier jailed for embezzlement over COVID-19 ventilators

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - A Bosnian court on Wednesday sentenced the prime minister of the Bosniak-Croat Federation to four years in prison on charges of embezzlement over the procurement of ventilators from China for COVID-19 patients.

Besides Fadil Novalic, the prime minister of one of Bosnia-Herzegovina's two entities, Fikret Hodzic, director of the F.H. Srebrena malina company, and the entity's Civil Protection Director Fahrudin Solak were also found guilty.

The three were charged with abuse of power, bribery, money laundering, obfuscation of evidence, and forgery of official documents.

Hodzic was sentenced to five years and Solak to six years in jail, while Jelka Milicevic, the entity’s finance minister, was acquitted.

In February 2021, Bosnia’s top court started a trial over the procurement of 100 ventilators costing €5.4 million ($5.9 million) from China after it was discovered that the procurement was conducted without a tender and through a direct agreement with F.H. Srebrena malina.