ZAGREB, September 6, 2018 - The trial of Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić in the case dubbed "public stands" started in Zagreb on Thursday, with Bandić pleading not guilty to charges of enabling a nongovernmental association to use public stands for collecting signatures for a referendum petition in a non-transparent manner, and as such, allegedly defrauding the city budget of approximately 40,500 euro.
Bandić's co-defendants also pleaded not guilty at the arraignment.
Bandić is charged, together with Zagreb City official Ivica Lovrić and the director of Zagreb Markets Zdenka Palac, with enabling the association "In the Name of the Family" to use stands for collecting signatures for a referendum free of charge, thus defrauding the city budget of 308,000 kuna.
Bandić is also accused in a case dubbed Agram for defrauding the city budget for several million kuna.
