Republika Srpska (RS) Public Prosecutor's Office has confiscated electronic and written documentation in an ongoing investigation against Dejan Kusturic, the acting director of the RS Health Insurance Fund. The probe revolves around suspicions that the procurement of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a budget loss exceeding 4 million Bosnian marks (some €2 million).

Danijela Tojagic, spokesperson for the RS Public Prosecutor's Office, confirmed the details to FENA, stating that the investigation continues. Prosecutors suspect that a private company illegally earned 12 million marks (some €6 million) through the procurement process.

“No arrests have been made at this stage, but the public will be informed about any new developments,” Tojagic noted.

She further mentioned that law enforcement agencies, including the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the RS Ministry of Interior's Organized and Serious Crime Administration, searched several Banja Luka locations. These searches carried out at the behest of the Special Department for the Suppression of Corruption, Organized Crime, and Economic Crime, targeted the RS Health Insurance Fund, Kusturic’s private property, and the company's former director “Medietik.”

The investigation is focused on Kusturic, who is suspected of abusing his official position in connection with the procurement of ventilators and other medical equipment during the pandemic. The Prosecutor's Office believes that Kusturic exploited the emergency situation created by COVID-19 to procure 165 ventilators from “Medietik” without establishing proper technical specifications or assessing the quantity and value of the equipment.

Shockingly, 85 of the ventilators delivered to healthcare institutions across the RS were found unsuitable for patient use and remain unused.