Prosecutors in Sarajevo are probing whether there was any criminal activity regarding the choice to award a multi-million deal concerning the import of 100 respirators from China to a fruit and vegetable processing company.

Local media reported on Monday that ‘FH Srebrena malina’ won a tender worth 10,5 million Bosnian Marks to import the respirators from Beijing, China.

The owner of the company, Fikret Hodzic, told N1 that Srebrena Malina did manage to procure 100 respirators “during very specific and difficult circumstances on the market.”

Of those 100 respirators, 80 were already imported, he said.

“As everyone knows, ventilators are currently the most sought after goods in the world and the biggest and most wealthy countries are also having problems in procuring them. That makes us even more satisfied, that we managed to use our business relations with our partners in China and that we strengthened our health care system with this procurement,” Hodzic said.

The Finance Minister of Bosnia’s Federation (FBiH) region and Commander of the FBiH Crisis Headquarters, Jelka Milicevic, also argued that the tender seems suspicious, saying that the issue should be investigated.