The anti-corruption office USKOK has launched an operation dubbed Hippocrates, investigating a pharmaceutical company and its employees as well as 49 doctors and a pharmacist suspected of bribery, abuse of office and inciting others to crime, USKOK reported on Monday without naming the company in question.
Unofficial sources, however, stated that amongst those arrested was the CEO of the Farmal pharmaceutical company, Drazen Dedi, whose home and the company's headquarters were searched earlier in the day.
The company's sales persons were being brought into USKOK's headquarters for questioning on Monday afternoon and once the questioning is completed the prosecution will come to a decision whether to detain anyone or not.
Official USKOK sources noted that the anti-corruption office was informed of the possible bribes by the pharmaceutical company by a reporter for the Slobodna Dalmacija daily, Natasa Skaricic.
Based on information and evidence collected, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the first suspect (the CEO of a pharmaceutical company), the second suspect (the company's finance director), the third suspect (the regional director of Sector South) and the fourth suspect (the regional director of Sector North) agreed to continually reward doctors and pharmacists with money and other gifts if they prescribed the company's medicines, USKOK said in a press release.
Health Minister Rajko Ostojic confirmed earlier in the day that 350 doctors were being investigated in this anti-corruption operation, adding that in addition to the arrests already made there could be many more throughout the country.
