ZAGREB, 3 May 2022 - Former Split deputy mayor Bojan Ivošević said on Tuesday, after an indictment was upheld against him for threatening a reporter, that he was confident he would prove his innocence in court.

"I respect the legal institutions of the state at all levels, including the court's decision to issue an indictment against me, and I strongly believe that during the trial I will prove my innocence," he said in a statement for the media.

The indictment, upheld last Friday by the Split Municipal Court, charges Ivošević with having threatened an editor at the Slobodna Dalmacija daily after an argument over the phone.

A few days after the indictment was issued, Split Mayor Ivica Puljak stepped down together with Ivošević and his second deputy Antonio Kuzmanić, deciding to go to a snap election. Along with electing a new mayor Split residents will also elect a new, 31-seat City Council.

ZAGREB, 3 May 2022 - Split Municipal Court has upheld an indictment against Split Deputy Mayor Bojan Ivošević for threatening a reporter.

The indictment, which resulted in Ivošević as well as Mayor Ivica Puljak tendering their resignations and deciding to go to a snap election, was upheld on 29 April.

Ivošević is charged with having threatened an editor at the Slobodna Dalmacija daily on 6 February, who after an argument with her over the phone said that he would "drink their blood."

Under the indictment, the reporter conveyed his words to her editor-in-chief and executive editor, which caused a feeling of fear and anxiety among reporters.

The indictment reads that Ivošević was dissatisfied with the way the daily reported about his work as deputy mayor and with articles about his family.

The issuing of the indictment against the closest associate to Mayor Ivica Puljak was the reason why Puljak's partners in the Split City Assembly withheld their support to Puljak, claiming Ivošević's conduct was unacceptable and could not be justified considering his post. Shortly after that, Puljak, Ivošević and Puljak's second deputy Antonio Kuzmanić stepped down.

Puljak said that by stepping down they wanted voters to be able to decide on the city leadership, stressing that Ivošević did not steal anything or hit anyone and that, even though his communication had indeed been inappropriate, it was not something to go to jail for.

ZAGREB, 29 March 2022 - The USKOK anti-corruption office has indicted former Čakovec mayor and Member of Parliament Stjepan Kovač (SDP), a Međimurje police officer, Mario Sever, and Damir Ledenčan, whom they allegedly hired to make up threatening messages to Kovač ahead of the last local elections.

The three indictees were arrested at the same time as Međimurje County Prefect Matija Posavec, who was suspected of bribe taking and influence peddling. That part of the investigation is still underway.

Without noting anyone's identity, USKOK reported on Tuesday that Kovač, Sever and Ledenčan had been indicted before Zagreb County Court for influence peddling, abuse of office and powers, and aiding and abetting in that crime.

Kovač is charged with asking Sever to reveal the identity of the creator of a website that released statements that he experienced as defamatory and offensive, but also damaging to his campaign during the local elections.

In the plan to make up threats against Kovač, which is prosecuted ex officio, Sever hired Ledenčan to send Kovač threatening text messages, including death threats.

Kovač then reported an unknown perpetrator to the police and the case was taken by Sever, who informed Kovač of the possible creator of the website. Kovač then demanded of the chief of police that the case be urgently resolved.

In addition, Kovač allegedly requested that a special report be submitted to the state attorney's office against the creator of the website prior to the second round of the local mayoral election and for the information about the threats to be released to the public in an effort to win the favour of potential voters.

Kovač then appeared in public, claiming that he was a victim of threats that could be linked to one of his rivals in the run for the mayor's office.