The Appellate Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed the first-instance verdict in the 'Ventilators' case, which involved former prime minister of the Federation entity Fadil Novalic, head of the Federation's Civil Protection Administration and businessman Fikret Hodzic, charged with illegal activities in purchase of ventilators during the pandemic.

The Court issued no official statement but Novalic himself confirmed the media reports.

“Yes, it is true, we did not receive the verdict officially, but they informed me that it was confirmed. What follows now is the serving of sentence – yes, I am going to prison,” he told the RTV FBiH public broadcaster.

Novalic's attorney Vasvija Vidovic told N1 she has not been informed about the decision.

“But you know it means nothing. It has been happening lately that it first appears in public before we see it,” she said.

Marsela Bajramovic, Solaks’ and Hodzic's attorney said that, if it is true, this will mean the “defeat of judiciary.”

In May 2023, the Court found Novalic guilty in the trial for controversial purchase of China-made ventilators amidst the Covid pandemic. Other two defendants, CEO of the ‘Srebrena malina’ company Fikret Hodzic and suspended chief of the Federation's Civil Protection Administration Fahrudin Solak were also found guilty, while entity finance minister Jelka Milicevic was acquitted of charges.

Novalic was sentenced to four, Hodzic to five and Solak to six years of prison in the first-instance verdict.

The indictment was confirmed on December 30, 2020, with the trial commencing on February 24 next year.

The process was launched following the 10.53 million marks (approx. 5.25 million euro) purchase of 100 ventilators amidst the Covid pandemic. The purchase was conducted in cooperation with the FBiH Government, the Civil Protection Administration and the ‘Srebrena malina’ company, which was described as a “huge deal” in equipping the hospitals across the entity.

The government and the Civil Protection Administration hired the ‘Srebrena malina’ company for the procurement of the ventilators, which later appeared to be useless, while the actors in the process gained profit from the purchase.