Has the Chinese company been granted insight into the medical histories of the population of Obrenovac?

The chief of the Obrenovac municipality, Miroslav Cuckovic, once again denied that the foreign investor had been granted insight into the medical histories of 55,000 citizens of that municipality, while the health minister stated that there had been no irregularities or violations of the law in this case.

After information emerged that the company Mei Ta had been granted insight into the medical histories of 55,000 citizens of Obrenovac, Commissioner Rodoljub Sabic initiated the procedure for assessing the implementation of the Law on the protection of personal data in that municipality.

Cuckovic spoke about the building of the Mei Ta factory in Obrenovac in the first episode of the show Insajder without Limitations. In the interview, which was published in entirety by Insajder.net on May 4th, Cuckovic also spoke about the human resource analysis in Obrenovac, for employment in that factory.

"Then they analyzed all 55,000 medical histories, because serious companies look into the medical state of that part of the population, because they do not want to pay penalties for sudden illnesses, disabilities and so forth," Cuckovic said in an interview to Insajder, adding that "this was the depth to which the foreign partners went."

After the commissioner announced the assessment, Cuckovic said that nobody from the municipality had granted the Mei Ta company insight into the medical histories.

Cuckovic reiterated on May 7th that nothing illegal had been done and that medical histories were not given without consent of their owners.
He stated that all who applied for a job in the Mei Ta's factory which is being built, had agreed to a medical examination before employment, and that there was no need to make that into an affair.

"We have 55,000 registered medical histories in Obrenovac, that is potentially 55,000 employees for any company," he said.
To the question about which medical histories the investors had seen and why did he say in Insajder that they had analyzed all 55,000, he replied that these were "potential medical histories which they can analyze, if the people take them to the company."

"Nobody took all 55,000 medical histories to them to look at, nor does anyone have the right to do that without consent of their owners.

Nobody took a medical history of any inhabitant of Obrenovac who does not want to get a job at Mei Ta, or anywhere else, and gave it to a third party. That is procedurally confidential and easy to prove and I am convinced that Mr. Sabic would do his job professionally and that we would reach that conclusion."

Asked about whether he wished to withdraw his statement from Insajder, about the analysis of human resources for employment at Mei Ta, he replied that "55,000 people had the possibility to pass their procedures and become their employees."

Rodoljub Sabic did not hide that he was also confused by the explanations of the Obrenovac municipal head.

"Now I don't know how to explain that statement, about everything being in order. The chief of the Obrenovac municipality perhaps got carried away and, while stressing that great effort and seriousness of cooperating with a foreign investment, he overdid it, and that is the best option, but any option in which data about the medical status of 55,000 citizens had been put at the disposal of a foreign investor is a criminal act," Sabic told the B92.

Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar also dismissed suspicions about irregularities and said that anyone who broke a law or procedure should be held to account, but that this was not the case here.

"I am appealing once again - let us not concentrate on hear-say and dwell on this; all these pre-election activities are over, we must concentrate and do our work," Zlatibor Loncar told the B92.

In his reply to reporters' questions about this case, Miroslav Cuckovic also said that "the election campaign is over".

Rodoljub Sabic responded to all this:

"I see no connection between this and the election campaign? The commissioner is addressed by a large number of citizens and journalists and the commissioner does his job. I do not see what is unclear there," Sabic pointed out.