Novalic, others arrested arrive at Sarajevo court

Bosnia's authorities have detained two ranking state officials and the owner of a company which imported a hundred ventilators from China that have been found to be useless for COVID-19 patients.

Bosnia's media quoted state prosecutors as saying on Friday that the arrested men include the prime minister of Bosnia's Muslim-Croat federation, a top state civil protection official and the private company owner that was granted about 5 million euros (5.5 million US dollars) by the government to get the equipment amid the pandemic.

The three are being investigated for money laundering, fraud, embezzlement of state funds and other crimes, the prosecutors were quoted as saying.

Fadil Novalic, federal prime minister, Fahrudin Solak head of civil protection and businessman Fikret Hodzic have been brought to detention center of the prosecutors office in Sarajevo.

The investigation was opened in March after a public outcry over why the little known fruit processing company called Silver Raspberry with ties to Bosnia's political establishment, received the lucrative deal.