The trial of the Prime Minister of the Federation of B&H, Bakir's Prime Minister Fadil Novalić and others in the "Respirators" affair continued today in the Court of B&H.

In addition to Novalić, FB&H Finance Minister Jelka Milićević, suspended director of the Federal Civil Protection Administration Fahrudin Solak and Fikret Hodžić, owner of the "Silver Raspberry" company, are also charged.

They are accused of procuring 100 respirators from China worth 10.5 million KM. They are also on trial for the purchase of medical equipment worth 2.9 million KM.

Aida Čorbeg, an anesthesiologist from Travnik, testified as a witness at today's hearing. She explained the circumstances of communication with Novalić's secretary Bahra Džaka, who, according to the previously presented correspondence, was interested in the quality of certain types of respirators.

At the trial, Čorbeg confirmed that Džaka, who is her friend and neighbor, asked her for her opinion on respirators. She called her on the phone and asked her to comment on the specifications of the respirators she had sent her by email.

The witness also communicated with Džaka via viber, and in one of the messages she stated that she was explicit that a transport respirator should not be procured in any way.

- I remember that she called me on the phone on April 1st. I was returning from duty and she asked me for my opinion on respirators, whether they were good or not. In the mail I received a picture of a respirator "Gorej 3.000" which I said was good and that they should search in that direction. I wanted to help. She asked for my position on respirators because she knew I was an anesthesiologist. She said that there was no regular tender procedure, that it was a state of emergency, that's how I understood it. I said about transport respirators that they are not okay and that they should not consider them. In giving my opinion, I was guided exclusively by specifications. I did not look at the manufacturer, the price or the supplier - stated Čorbeg.

She testified that when giving her opinion, she was guided by the specification of the device since she was an anesthesiologist.

- In one message, I received a picture of a transport respirator, which I said was out of the question, and Bahra replied that she would tell this to the Prime Minister, and let him decide. I was getting pictures and specifications of several respirators, I was just looking at those that could be used in intensive care units - said Čorbeg.

Čorbeg also said that in the message from Džaka she received a specification of the respirator "ICU Ventilator" which was named by the code, and according to the specification she determined that it meets the criteria for the treatment of patients with coronavirus.

During the correspondence via Viber, she sent to Džaka contacts of companies that deal with the procurement of respirators in order to facilitate the procurement, and in one of the messages, Džaka wrote to her: "I don't know why the Prime Minister took to do this, he transferred everything to the cabinet."

Prosecutor Mirza Hukelić asked the witness if she had ever heard of a respirator marked "ACM 81 A", and she replied that she had learned about this type of device from media reports.

Vasvija Vidović, defense counsel for the first indictee Novalić, in cross-examination asked the witness if she knew what the conditions were for the procurement of respirators on the market at the time, and she replied that she learned from the media that "there is a general procurement race and that all countries are struggling to get them, but that she was not aware that America and the EU have banned the export of respirators ".

Šejla Cilović - Lagarija, an employee of the Federal Institute of Public Health, also testified, explaining that an analysis of the needs for medical equipment for the FB&H had been made.

She stated that the director of the Institute, Davor Pehar, told her to make an analysis of the condition and needs for medical equipment with her colleague Aida Ramić-Čatak.

The analysis was requested at a meeting attended by Dr. Goran Čerkez and Marina Bera.

- We requested from all the cantonal institutes to send us what is missing from the medical equipment and what they have at their disposal. Based on that, after five days we made an analysis. We have consolidated the data - stated Cilović-Lagarija.

Prosecutor Hukeljić asked the witness if she knew what happened to the analyzes after they were completed, and she said that she handed them over to Director Pehar. He was also interested in how the analyzes were adopted, but she could not remember, so Hukeljić reminded her with a statement she gave during the investigation.

After that, Cilović-Lagarija confirmed that the analyzes were adopted in the Viber group of the Federal Crisis Staff.

Hukeljić asked the witness if there had ever been any offers or prices for certain medical equipment in the Institute, and she said that all offers had been recorded. After a few additional questions, the witness recalled that they also made a table with "approximate" prices of equipment.

After that, the prosecutor was interested in how they found out about the prices, where they got the information from, and Cilović-Lagarija said that they found the prices on the Internet.

So far, Bahra Džaka, former director of the B&H Public Procurement Agency Đenan Salčin, wife of Bakir Izetbegović, SDA president and KCUS director Sebija Izetbegović and director of the company „Cubicus“ Denis Đulalić have testified before the court.

We remind you that Novalić, Solak and Hodžić are accused of associating in order to commit criminal offenses related to acts of abuse of position or authority, receiving a reward or other form of benefit for trading in influence.

The indictment also charges them with money laundering, falsification or destruction of business or trade books or documents, falsification of official documents and violation of the obligation to keep trade or business books and compile financial reports and their falsification or destruction.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 21st, and Davor Pehar and Marina Bera will testify.