President Says Investigation in JANAF Case Not Clear
ZAGREB, September 19, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic said on Saturday, in a comment on the JANAF corruption scandal, that he did not understand why JANAF CEO Dragan Kovacevic and businessman Kreso Petek were not arrested at the moment when Kovacevic received a bribe of HRK 1.96 million from Petek.
"I don't understand why this did not stop at the moment when it was found out through surveillance that someone was giving someone two million kuna in bribes. That should have been the end of the story, you have a case, you have physical evidence. That's what I would like to know," Milanovic said when asked about the investigation into the case in which public tenders were allegedly rigged to favour Petek's company.
Petek is charged with having bribed Kovacevic in November 2019 with HRK 1.96 million to win several jobs for his company. At the moment when the money was handed over, police rather closely recorded the circumstances in which Petek took the money to Kovacevic.
Kovacevic was Milanovic's rival in a 2008 election for the president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), after which he joined the Croatian People's Party (HNS), and Milanovic confirmed today that the two of them had a lunch together a few months ago.
"We are not close friends, but we have been on good terms," said the president.
Considering that Kovacevic was appointed to head JANAF during his government's term, Milanovic said that Kovacevic was appointed JANAF CEO in 2012 by Radimir Cacic.
The president also commented on Standard & Poor's having affirmed Croatia's investment grade, saying that what the agency said was good but that agency ratings were a matter of the past.
"At a time when money is practically free, their forecasts do not mean anything. More important is what we know and the data we have, and next year should be a year of recovery and growth provided the situation with the coronavirus calms down," said Milanovic, who attended an event marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the northwestern Croatia in World War II.
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75th Anniversary of Liberation of Northwestern Croatia Marked in Podgaric
ZAGREB, September 19, 2020 - Wreaths were laid and candles lit at the Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina in Podgaric on Saturday, to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the northwestern Croatia in World War II.
"The current government shows much more understanding and tact regarding certain things than the previous governments. We are marking here today the 75th annivesary of one of the biggest victories over evil. One side chose the right way, the other the wrong way. Our side won the war and a country that is based on antifascism," President Zoran Milanovic said in an address at the commemoration.
Noting that antifascism had not been included in the Croatian constitution by chance, he said: "A constitution is an act of political will and political awareness, and in 1990 there were no dilemmas as to whether antifascism should be put in the Constitution. Antifascism is part of the Constitution... so negating it 30 years later is simply ridiculous," he said.
Speaking on behalf of the event's organiser, the Association of Antifascist Fighters and Antifascists of Croatia (SABA), its president Franjo Habulin said that the region of Moslavina had been of great strategic importance from the very start of WWII.
"The antifascist struggle brought about the most important democratic values, and today's Croatia was won and preserved within borders defined by the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia. The Europe we live in today was also built on antifascism and the antifascist struggle," Habulin stressed.
Among those attending the commemoration was also former Croatian president Stjepan Mesic.
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VIDEO: Croatian Post Goes Green with 20 New Electric Cars
September 19, 2020 - Croatian Post goes green by adding another 20 electric vehicles to its fleet. There are now a total of 220 electric vehicles in the fleet, of which 40 are four-wheelers.
Glas Istre reports that the Croatian Post has expanded its "green" fleet with 20 new electric quadricycles. The addition is a continuation of the multi-year procurement of electric vehicles and the renewal of the vehicle fleet in accordance with reducing the harmful impact on the environment and higher energy efficiency.
There are a total of 220 electric vehicles in the Croatian Post fleet, of which 40 are four-wheelers. Each electric vehicle can drive for 60 km with one charge, and the maximum speed is 45 km / h.
The volume of the luggage tank is 300 l, and the load capacity is about 150 kg. The introduction of electric vehicles contributes to reducing the operating costs of the vehicle fleet and increasing energy efficiency.
These vehicles enable better mobility in city centers and optimize efficiency by gradually reducing fossil fuel vehicles.
By using 40 electric quadricycles for delivery, the Croatian Post will significantly reduce its carbon footprint because carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by as much as 15.2 t.
Funds for the purchase of 20 electric quadricycles were co-financed by grants from the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency.
Recall, the services of the Croatian Post became more expensive from September 1, 2020.
“As of September 1, 2020, Croatian Post applies a new price list for postal services in domestic traffic. The price of sending letters weighing up to 50 grams and greeting cards and postcards will be 3 kuna and 30 lipa instead of the 3 kuna and 10 lipa, which is an increase of 6%. The price of the additional service "return" is also 3.30 kuna. As the price of court documents consists of the price of a recommendation and the price of a return receipt, the price of sending a court document has been increased by 20 lipa. For example, instead of 14.60 kuna for a court document weighing up to 50 grams, as of September 1, its price is 14.80 kuna," they announced at the beginning of the month.
You can read more about the price changes here.
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Mayor Grgic Denies Any Wrongdoing in Public Tender Rigging Scandal
ZAGREB, Sept 19, 2020 - Nova Gradiska Mayor and SDP lawmaker Vinko Grgic, who was questioned by the USKOK office on Saturday concerning an investigation in influence paddling and public tender rigging, denied any wrongdoing and said that he was ready to resign for moral reasons, Grgic's lawyer said.
"My client has presented an extensive defence, and denied his responsibility and any involvement in corrupt deals," the lawyer Zoran Mataic said after the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) had interrogated Grgic in Zagreb.
On Thursday evening USKOK launched an investigation into the CEO of oil pipeline operator Janaf, Dragan Kovacevic, and another twelve people on suspicion of influence peddling, bribery, illicit preferential treatment, and aiding and abetting in these crimes.
The main suspect, the Elektrocentar company's founder Kreso Petek, allegedly gave Kovacevic HRK 1.96 million in reward for business deals awarded to his company by Janaf since September 2019. He is also suspected of giving HRK 100,000 to the Nova Gradiska mayor, in reward for helping award a deal in a public tender to a consortium that included Petek's company.
Mataic said that Grgic knew Petek, however, he had denied any claims that the Elektrocentar director had proposed any kickbacks or that he had accepted any proposal of such nature.
The lawyer said that Grgic was willing to step down from his mayoral office for moral reasons as well as if the possibility of repeating the criminal offences he is charged with could be cited as the reason for placing him in custody.
As for media reports about the leak of information from the preliminary investigation into this case of the suspected influence-peddling, public tender rigging, and illicit kickbacks which implicates 13 suspects, Grgic's lawyer said that they knew nothing about the information leak.
On Saturday, an investigating judge is expected to make a decision on the pretrial detention of Grgic and the mayor of Velika Gorica, Drazen Barisic of the HDZ party.
On Friday evening Zagreb County Court's investigating judge imposed 30-day pre-trial detention on 10 suspects in this case.
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PM: Croatia's Rating Affirmation Shows Trust in How Government Manages Crisis
ZAGREB, Sept 19, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Saturday that Standard & Poor's decision to affirm Croatia's credit rating proves that the country entered the corona crisis with a resilient economy and that the cabinet has adopted robust and timely measures to respond to the economic challenges.
The Standard & Poor's agency on Friday affirmed its 'BBB-/A-3' long- and short-term sovereign credit ratings on Croatia, with a stable outlook, pointing to fiscal and monetary measures which can alleviate the consequences of the corona crisis and thus thwart permanent damage to credit indicators.
The decisions prompted the government to state on Saturday that those evaluations show that the government did the right thing with its strong response to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The credit rating agency also confirms the importance of political stability in Croatia.
The agency notes that "the July 2020 parliamentary elections resulted in a strong mandate affirming the HDZ-led government."
The assessments made by S&P also prove that "Croatia entered the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic with a stable and resilient economy," Plenkovic was quoted as saying.
The S&P report on Croatia also shows that the government is pursuing "robust and timely measures" to keep jobs and help the economy to turn around, he added.
The report reflects trust in the continuation of the implementation of the government's measures aimed at a speedy economic recovery, also by using 22 billion euros which are made available to Croatia in the European Union's funds in the next seven years.
This also shows trust in Croatia's efforts to implement reforms on its journey towards the membership of the euro area, the premier said.
The government recalls that Croatia used to be below investment ratings from 2012 to 2019 and that in the term of the cabinet of PM Plenkovic, the country managed to regain the creditworthiness.
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10 Suspects in Public Tender Rigging Probe Remanded in 30-day Custody
ZAGREB, Sept 19, 2020 - An investigating judge of Zagreb County Court on Friday evening imposed 30-day pre-trial detention on 10 suspects in the influence-peddling probe which also implicates the Janaf oil pipeline operator's CEO, Dragan Kovacevic, the Elektrocentar company's founder Kreso Petek and two mayors.
There are 13 suspects covered by the investigation so far.
The decision on remanding in the mayors, Drazen Barisic of Velika Gorica, and Vinko Grgic of Nova Gradiska are expected to be made on Saturday.
The 10 suspects have been taken into investigative custody for fear of tampering with witnesses.
The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) on Thursday evening launched an investigation into the CEO of oil pipeline operator Janaf and another twelve people on suspicion of influence peddling, bribery, illicit preferential treatment, and aiding and abetting in these crimes.
The main suspect Petek allegedly gave Kovacevic HRK 1.96 million in reward for business deals awarded to his company by JANAF since September 2019.
He is also suspected of giving HRK 100,000 to the mayor of Nova Gradiska, in reward for helping award a deal in a public tender to a consortium that included Petek's company.
The mayor of Velika Gorica allegedly ensured the award of an HRK 97.3 million public procurement deal to Petek's company. Using his mayoral position, he asked the chairman of the board of the local water management company to modify public tender documentation to suit the demands of Petek and his consultant.
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COVID Update: 212 Fresh Cases, No New Death in Croatia in Past 24 Hours
ZAGREB, Sept 19, 2020 - In the last 24 hours, of 5,457 tests performed for coronavirus, 212 have returned positive, and there have been no COVID-related deaths, Croatia's COVID-19 crisis management team reported on Saturday.
Currently, there are 2,128 active cases, and 9,714 contacts are self-isolating.
Of those active cases, 288 are receiving hospital treatment, including 24 placed on ventilators.
Since 25 February, when the first case of the disease was registered in Croatia, a total of 14,725 people have been diagnosed with this infection. Of them, 12,353 have recovered and 244 have died.
To date, Croatia's health authorities have conducted 254,480 tests for this novel virus.
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Croatia's Jakopovic Elected Vice-President of European Agricultural Union COPA
ZAGREB, Sept 19, 2020 - The head of the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK), Mladen Jakopovic was elected by a majority vote to be a vice-president of the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations (COPA), the HPK stated on Saturday.
On Friday, COPA, an umbrella European farmers organisation, stated that it had elected Christiane Lambert of the French FNSEA association to lead the European farmers' organisation for the next two years.
Apart from the COPA president, the new six elected vice-presidents are Jakopovic as well as Palle Borgstrom of Sweden, Massimiliano Giansanti of Italy, Tim Cullnan of Ireland, Roomet Sormus of Estonia, and PedroIgnacio Gallardo Barrena of Spain.
Jakopovic was quoted by the HPK as saying that farmers in the EU and members of COPA have recognised the work of the Croatian Chamber of Agriculture and that the chamber had managed to become a prominent member of this European agricultural association over the recent years.
He says he will be committed to promoting more strongly the interests of Croatian farmers in the next two years.
Following the announcement of her election, Christiane Lambert was quoted in the COPA statement that she was aware of the responsibilities facing this Presidency."
"Farmers all over Europe are worried and uncertainties are many. Should it be on the CAP, the Farm to Fork, the Green Deal, the Brexit process, or the recovery plan, we must find collective answers at the EU level in the near future. I firmly believe that farming is a strategic sector for Europe— the COVID crisis has shown this. Europe needs to reconnect with its agricultural ambitions," the French farmer said.
COPA is made up of 60 organisations from the countries of the European Union and 36 partner organisations from other European countries such as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.
This broad membership allows COPA to represent both the general and specific interests of farmers in the European Union. COPA has been recognised by the Community authorities as the organisation speaking on behalf of the European agricultural sector as a whole.
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Daily Telegraph Features 1st Master of Wine Making Wine in Croatia
September 20, 2020 - The Daily Telegraph features Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, the first MW to make wine in Croatia. Grapes from Hvar, Hands from London.
One of the most interesting developments in the last few years has been the arrival of the first Master of Wine to produce wine in Croatia from indigenous Croatian varieties.
Jo Ahearne MW took the plunge back in 2014 and moved to Hvar. After years of consulting and buying wines for the likes of Marks and Spencer and Harrod's of London, she had been looking to make her very own wine, and the indigenous grapes of Hvar combined with the relaxed Croatian lifestyle seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I have known Jo since those early days and watched with awe as she has mastered her craft despite the complexities and bureaucracy of starting a wine business in Croatia.
A key early theme has been to use local grape varieties, of which Hvar has several unique sorts. Her debut wine, Rosina, a rosé made from Drnakusa, was met with critical acclaim, and she has been slowly expanding her range from there.
Perhaps her most acclaimed wine is the maceration wine 'Wild Skins', which is a blend of Posip and two Hvar varieties, Kuc and Bogdanusa (which literally translates as 'a gift from God').
I did smile to myself a couple of years ago, as Jo headed off on a wine tasting tour of note. Invitations to exclusive addresses in Tokyo, Kyoto, Melbourne and Sydney - new frontiers for the humble grapes of Hvar, inspired by the vision of a straight-talking Londoner.
After some time making wine on the south side of Hvar, Jo has moved her production to the hilltop village of Vrisnik in central Hvar, from where she runs great wine tastings, which are growing in popularity.
Media attention is also growing in this fascinating relationship between a Master of Wine and the indigenous grapes of Hvar, with today bringing perhaps the biggest exposure yet - a very well-written piece in The Daily Telegraph.
I’m lucky that Jo Ahearne agreed to speak to me during harvest. Winemakers are always hard-pressed when the grapes are being picked, so it’s no surprise that our chat is aborted a couple of times. “It’s all going crazy here as all the whites have decided to come in at the same time. Normally they form an orderly queue,” she messages from the Croatian island of Hvar, a haven of pine trees and lavender fields in the Adriatic, where she has been making wine since 2014. Another day we’re emailing at 4am.
Read the full story in The Daily Telegraph here.
For more information about Ahearne Vino, check out the official Facebook page.
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Istria Celebrates World Tourism Day for 5th Time: What About Your Region?
September 19, 2020 - Istria celebrates World Tourism Day for the fifth time on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, from 10 am to 6 pm at 63 points throughout the county.
HRTurizam reports that this year, for the fifth time in a row, the Istria County Administrative Department for Tourism organizes and encourages inclusion in the celebration of World Tourism Day to draw attention to the local population and tourists to a number of facilities and attractions Istria.
This year, World Tourism Day is held under the motto: Tourism and Rural Development.
The celebration of the World Tourism Day in Istria in 2020 will be held on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 from 10 am to 6 pm at 63 points throughout Istria where tourist attractions open their doors with discounts of up to 50% or completely for free.
"We make our offer more accessible so you can get to know the contents and attractions in Istria as much as possible, and thus we strengthen the promotion of Istria. All those interested, in addition to adrenaline parks, museums, castles, caves, protected areas, workshops, performances, and more, will be able to visit the many winemakers, olive growers, truffle growers, and other local producers who joined the action. Numerous local tourist boards joined the event with their programs," said the head of the Istria County Board of Tourism, Nada Prodan Mrakovic, and stressed that in accordance with this year's theme of World Tourism Day and this event, they want to point out local products, offer and service and encourage local consumption and thus support local facilities.
"Thus, by encouraging consumption, we contribute to the preservation of jobs, we encourage sustainable and responsible development of tourism, and finally, we point out the importance of tourism that affects the economic, social, cultural, and environmental segments," concludes Prodan Mrakovic.
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