Katica: We will persist in the procurement of a helicopter for the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton

(Patria) - Minister of Interior of the Sarajevo Canton Admir Katica responded to the press release of the Naprijed party, which questions the procurement of a helicopter for the needs of the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton, stating that, regardless of such sabotage attempts, the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton, as well as the citizens of the Sarajevo Canton, will have the best and most efficient helicopter, procured in accordance with the law and legal regulations.

“For a number of years, there has been a continuous sabotage of the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton's attempt to carry out the procurement procedure for a helicopter, which I responsibly claim will be the best we could have procured. We gave a promise to the citizens that we would procure a helicopter for the operational needs of the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton, which will simultaneously serve for civilian purposes, and we will fulfill that promise regardless of various insinuations from the side, sabotage attempts, and cheap populism.

There is no room for doubt about the functionality of the helicopter or the legality of conducting the public procurement. In preparing the specification for the helicopter, we worked so thoroughly that we required the helicopter to have the capability to transport a police unit of 13 persons in full gear to any location, but also to possess a firefighting bucket that can collect up to 700 liters of water at once needed for firefighting, to have a fast rappelling system, to be fully capable of responding in cases of providing first aid, and numerous other features. The helicopter we will procure will also serve to assist the population in case of natural disasters, fires, floods, earthquakes, for search and rescue missions, for support in medical interventions, and other difficult situations. Therefore, let us openly ask ourselves:

Who is not interested in the Sarajevo Canton having the best and most equipped helicopter aircraft in the country? Who does not wish well for the citizens of the Sarajevo Canton, and who is bothered by a strong police force of the Sarajevo Canton?

Those who question this should be aware that they may bear responsibility for spreading untruths and deceiving the public, as well as for obstructing the public procurement procedure, which, I emphasize, has not yet been completed, and it is very possible that such public statements favor certain bidders.

Finally, I want to emphasize once again that we will persist in the procurement of a helicopter for the needs of the MUP of the Sarajevo Canton and the citizens of the Sarajevo Canton, and we will fulfill the promise we made to the citizens, just as we have fulfilled all previously given promises that contributed to improving the socio-economic and social situation in Sarajevo through strengthening the police by transparently hiring new, young, and professionally trained personnel, exempting citizens from paying participation fees, increasing maternity benefits, and other measures."