Details about vaccine affair probe "shouldn't be revealed"

Serbian Health Minister Zoran Stankovic says it is unacceptable and illegal to reveal details of the investigation into swine flu vaccine affair to the public. “Statements that were given yesterday are exceeding the framework of actions determined by the law. It is unacceptable to publish information from the investigation and procedure needs to be respected,” the minister pointed out. Details about vaccine affair probe "shouldn't be revealed" However, he did not say exactly who he had in mind. Stankovic added that he “also had associates who lie to him” but that he was slowly distancing himself from them. “If someone is falsely informing me, than that’s my problem,” he pointed out. Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said earlier that it had been determined in a pre-trial proceeding that some information about the vaccines, which were presented to the public by then Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic, had come from former Republic Institute for Health Insurance (RZZO) Director Svetlana Vukajlovic who was recently arrested. She added that it was necessary to determine whether Milosavljevic had been aware that the information was false. When asked who was in charge of proposing the purchase of vaccines, since Milosavljevic said he had nothing to do with it, the health minister stressed that the health minister needed to sign every Health Ministry’s proposal to the government and that the Serbian government then decided whether or not to adopt the proposal. He pointed out that solving of affairs in the health system had “just begun”, adding that investigations into eight corruption cases were underway. When asked whether he would allow only five people to be in charge of the vaccine procurement, Stankovic explained that the procedure was clearly envisaged by the law. He said that excess 600,000 doses of the flu vaccine would be destroyed in Austria. Vukajlovic, Jugohemija-Farmacija Director Vladimir Gravar and Detap company owner Ljubomir Pavicevic were arrested under suspicion of being involved in the abuse during procurement of the AH1N1 flu vaccines in November 2009 and incurring EUR 1.27mn worth of damages to the Serbian budget. Zoran Stankovic (Beta, file)

Details about vaccine affair probe "shouldn't be revealed"

However, he did not say exactly who he had in mind. Stanković added that he “also had associates who lie to him” but that he was slowly distancing himself from them.

“If someone is falsely informing me, than that’s my problem,” he pointed out.

Justice Minister Snežana Malović said earlier that it had been determined in a pre-trial proceeding that some information about the vaccines, which were presented to the public by then Health Minister Tomica Milosavljević, had come from former Republic Institute for Health Insurance (RZZO) Director Svetlana Vukajlović who was recently arrested.

She added that it was necessary to determine whether Milosavljević had been aware that the information was false.

When asked who was in charge of proposing the purchase of vaccines, since Milosavljević said he had nothing to do with it, the health minister stressed that the health minister needed to sign every Health Ministry’s proposal to the government and that the Serbian government then decided whether or not to adopt the proposal.

He pointed out that solving of affairs in the health system had “just begun”, adding that investigations into eight corruption cases were underway.

When asked whether he would allow only five people to be in charge of the vaccine procurement, Stanković explained that the procedure was clearly envisaged by the law.

He said that excess 600,000 doses of the flu vaccine would be destroyed in Austria.

Vukajlović, Jugohemija-Farmacija Director Vladimir Gravar and Detap company owner Ljubomir Pavićević were arrested under suspicion of being involved in the abuse during procurement of the AH1N1 flu vaccines in November 2009 and incurring EUR 1.27mn worth of damages to the Serbian budget.