Bosnian protesters march against government

Thousands of protesters marched in Sarajevo on Wednesday after two senior state officials were implicated in corruption cases involving the purchase of ventilators for coronavirus patients.

The demonstration through the Bosnian capital was organised by opposition Platform for Protest party leader Mirsad Hadzikadic said there was an "enormous amount" of corruption in the country and said change was necessary.

An investigation was launched after a batch of 100 ventilators imported from China by a little-known company with ties to Bosnia’s political establishment were found to be useless.

Bosnia’s state prosecutors said Friday that the arrested men include the prime minister of Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat federation, Fadil Novalic, a top state civil protection official, and the owner of the fruit processing company that received about five million euros ($5.5 million) from the government to get the equipment.

The three are being investigated for alleged money laundering, fraud, embezzlement of state funds and other crimes, the prosecutors said.