NOVALIĆ AND OTHERS Witness: Respirators were paid more due to someone else's debt

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - 2.4 million euros more were paid for the procurement of respirators for the FBiH region so that Sanja Lekić from Montenegro could compensate for the loss incurred due to the termination of the contract for the procurement of respirators for Serbia, this could be concluded from the testimony of Kristijan Marić, one of the intermediaries in the procurement of respirators.

As could be heard earlier in the proceedings, Kristijan Marić from Mostar, Sanja Lekić from Montenegro, Borna Cicero with the company Exo trade from Croatia, and a certain Dušan from Serbia were involved in the procurement process. They agreed to procure 100 respirators from China worth 3.9 million euros, even though the market value at that time was 1.5 million euros.

"Sanja, in cooperation with Exo trade, arranged the profit distribution," said Marić, adding that he had a contract with Exo trade to be paid 200,000 euros from this procurement.

Incidentally, during his testimony, Marić explained that Sinopharm, which was procuring respirators for Serbia, terminated the contract with Sanja Lekić, and that she was obliged to return five million euros, and that she had already paid part of that money to the Chinese earlier.

Marić said that an additional procurement of 200 respirators was planned, and that the plan was for him to be paid an additional 300,000 euros from that profit as well.

"It was important for Fikret Hodžić that the respirators be delivered," Marić added, explaining that Hodžić was supposed to receive part of the money from the procurement of an additional 200 respirators.

When asked by the prosecutor whether the company from which the respirators were procured in China was aware of everything, Marić said that it was agreed, and that he was aware because, due to his knowledge of English, he contacted the Chinese on behalf of Sanja Lekić, as he says.

Marić also confirmed that Fikret Hodžić was aware of everything, given that he had to pay the money to the company from China.

He added that Samir Cerić, a Bosnian businessman from London, was involved in the entire agreement.

"He arranged everything in principle," said Marić and added that he was not aware if separate contracts were signed with the company from China for the return of surplus money.

"Fikret Hodžić commented that he would treat me and his people. Given how he cooperated with the Government and Civil Protection, it indicated that they were his people. He did not mention specific names," said Marić.

Role of the BiH Ambassador

In his testimony, Marić also referred to the role of Tarik Bukvić, the Ambassador of BiH to China.

He said that Bukvić also sent letters of intent to China and that, at the request of Sanja Lekić from Montenegro, he sent one letter for the procurement of 200 respirators which, according to Marić, Lekić had already procured.

After receiving the call from the Prosecutor's Office, the witness said he called Hodžić and asked him "what do I need this for", and he told him "to tell everything as it was". However, while reading his statement, the prosecutor reminded him that he had claimed that Hodžić told him "not to mention the FBiH Government and Civil Protection".

The witness today received immunity from the Court at his request, which means he cannot be held responsible for his participation in this proceeding, but he was obliged to answer all questions. Marić also stated in his opening remarks that he is a salesman with an economics degree, currently unemployed because his private company is blocked due to this proceeding. He added that he is part of the Young Entrepreneurs Network through which he was involved in the procurement of respirators.