Complex medical expertise. This is how the Prosecutor’s Office of Canton Sarajevo (CS) explains reason why nothing has been done for almost two years regarding the criminal charges filed by three families of those who died due to complications caused by the coronavirus infection.
In their applications, the families of the deceased accuse the director Sebija Izetbegovic, as well as a dozen doctors, medical technicians and administrative workers of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS) for “gross errors and omissions in treatment”.
Atif Hota and Sead Palic passed away at the beginning of March 2021 in the KCUS. In June of the same year, their families submitted criminal charges to the Cantonal Prosecutor’s Office, in which they accuse the KCUS of negligence in treatment.
The Prosecutor’s Office of the CS told that due to the protection of the interests of the proceedings, “they cannot give details”, and that the final prosecutorial decision will be made after the evidence is completed.
Families without any information
Atif Hota was admitted to the Infectious Disease Clinic in February 2021, due to suspected infection with the coronavirus. He died on March 4th in the respiratory center of that health facility.
His brother Mirsad Hota holds KCUS responsible for treatment failures. He claims that his brother was negative for the coronavirus, but that he was treated as if he was infected. He also points out that he was denied information about his brother’s treatment and the circumstances of his death.
“Nobody called me. What kind of justice system we have, I don’t have hope for anything. But I won’t give up, as long as I can endure financially and mentally,” Mirsad told.
A lawyer without information about the procedure
The families of Hota, Palic and Ceric, who filed criminal charges, are represented by Sarajevo lawyer Damir Koldzo.
Koldzo points out that there is no information about processes and expert reports in the cantonal Prosecutor’s Office. Koldzo also warned that the Law on Criminal Procedure foresees deadlines for expert testimony of 15 days, and in complex cases 30 days.
What do they say in KCUS?
The office of KCUS director Sebija Izetbegovic did not respond to request for a discussion about the processes at the CSProsecutor’s Office and whether their employees gave statements, Slobodna Evropa reports.
E.Dz.
