Fadil Novalic

End of an Era

Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic (C) and the leaders of the ruling majority in Podgorica, Montenegro. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday sentenced the Prime Minister of Bosnia's largest entity, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fadil Novalic, to four years in prison in a first-instance verdict over the procurement of 100 overpriced ventilators from China in 2020, at a cost to the budget of 10.5 million Bosniak marks, or just over 5 million euros.

Indeed, the manufacturer of the ACM812A knew they were no good for critically-ill patients. It had said so publicly, according to the findings of BIRN and Singapore-based The Initium.

Federation entity Prime Minister fadil Novalic and other others are accused of conspiring to "abuse office, accept rewards for trading influence, money laundering and document fraud" in connection with the purchase of overpriced ventilators from Chine.

Fahrudin Radoncic told his colleagues at a session of Bosnia's Council of Ministers on Tuesday that he will submit his resignation as security minister after explaining earlier in the day that "political differences on strategic issues" with governing coalition partners were behind his reasons for quitting.

The opposition in parliament in Bosnia's Federation entity has called for the dismissal of the government led by caretaker Prime Minister Fadil Novalic, who was detained for three days as a suspect in an investigation into the purchase of allegedly overpriced Chinese respirators.

Fadil Novalic, the caretaker Prime Minister of Bosnia's Federation entity, was detained Thursday overnight by the state law enforcement agency SIPA together with the head of the Civil Protection and the owner of a private company as part of an investigation into the purchase of allegedly overpriced Chinese respirators. 

The protesters were incensed by images revealed at a news conference a day earlier by Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina lawmaker Sabina Cudic, which appeared to show children at a care facility in the village of Pazaric tied to beds and other furniture.

"I don't think anyone would dare start a conflict again in BiH (Bosnia-Herzegovina)... but that doesn't mean we should not react and prepare for every possible scenario," Izetbegovic, who currently chairs the tripartite Presidency of BiH, told journalists in Sarajevo, Croatian daily Jutarnji List is reporting.

People in Bosnia's Federation entity flooded twitter with sarcastic messages on Wednesday after the Prime Minister of the entity, Fadil Novalic, told a press conference that they lived well and spent too much of their money on unnecessary things.