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

(Patria) - Members of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska's Administration for Organized and Serious Crime, by order of the Special Department for Combating Corruption, Organized and the Most Serious Forms of Economic Crime of the Republika Srpska Public Prosecutor's Office, carried out searches at several locations in the city of Banja Luka this morning.

The searches were conducted in the premises of the Republika Srpska Health Insurance Fund, 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 Republika Srpska 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 obtained so far, the prosecutor's office has determined that there are grounds for suspicion that the acting director of the Republika Srpska Health Insurance Fund, using the circumstances of the declared coronavirus pandemic, abused his official position and authority as acting director, and conducted a public procurement of ventilators and medical equipment with the bidder "Medietik", without previously established technical specifications, quantities 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 Republika Srpska, of which 85 ventilators were never used because it was determined that they were not suitable 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 Republika Srpska was damaged by more than 4 million KM.