In RS, procurement of ventilators under investigation, 85 out of 165 were unusable

(Patria) - Members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Administration for Organized and Serious Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of RS, by order of the Special Department for Combating Corruption, Organized and the most serious forms of economic crime of the Republican Public Prosecutor's Office, conducted searches at several locations in the city of Banja Luka this morning.

Searches were carried out in the premises of the Health Insurance Fund of RS, the private property of the acting director of the Health Insurance Fund and the former director of the company "Medietik", in order to obtain evidence in the investigation conducted by the Republican Public Prosecutor's Office against the acting director of the Health Insurance Fund, Dejan Kusturić, due to the existence of grounds for suspicion that he committed the prolonged criminal offense of Abuse of Official Position or Authority, in connection with public procurement procedures for ventilators and other medical equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.

During the day, information emerged that Kusturić had been detained, but a search of his family home was carried out in the presence of investigators. He will be questioned as a suspect.

According to the evidence gathered so far, the prosecution has determined that there are grounds for suspicion that the acting director of the Health Insurance Fund of RS, using the circumstances of the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic, abused his official position and authority as acting director, and conducted public procurement of ventilators and medical equipment with the bidder "Medietik", without prior determination of technical specifications, quantity of ventilators, or their value.

It was also determined that through the conclusion of a contract with the bidder "Medietik" and the subsequent conclusion of an annex to the contract, the Health Insurance Fund procured 165 ventilators, which were delivered to healthcare institutions in RS, of which 85 ventilators were never used because they were found to be unsuitable for use on patients.

Through the procurement of ventilators and medical equipment, the company "Medietk" generated revenue of approximately 12 million KM, while the budget of RS was damaged by more than 4 million KM.