ZAGREB, February 20, 2020 - The parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP) on Thursday unanimously additionally stripped former minister Lovro Kuščević of immunity at the request of the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH), which has decided to expand its investigation into him.

The decision paves the way for the USKOK anti-corruption office to launch criminal proceedings against Kuščević on the suspicion that he committed the crimes of taking a bribe, abuse of position and authority, incitement to abuse of trust in business activities, and incitement to causing a business to go bankrupt, MIP chairman Žarko Tušek explained.

In September 2019 Kuščević was stripped of immunity to allow criminal proceedings to be launched against him for two crimes of abuse of position and authority, however, as DORH has expanded the investigation, parliament was once again requested to strip Kuščević of immunity.

During his term as the mayor of Nerežišća on Brač island, Kuščević initiated amendment of the municipality's physical plan and repurposed his barn into a house as well as unlawfully enabled his brother-in-law to buy a government-subsidised flat.

USKOK has now extended the probe to include Kuščević's spouse and a business man from Split.

According to media reports, USKOK suspects Kuščević of not only rezoning land but of illegally gaining HRK 1.4 million and defrauding the state budget of about 300,000 kuna.

He is also charged with taking a bribe and the charge also refers to his brother-in-law Ivica Žuvić and businessman Ante Marinović.

USKOK believes that a plot of land on Brač island, registered as belonging to Žuvić, is actually owned by Kuščević and that Kuščević received it as a bribe from Marinović.

More corruption news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, September 2, 2019 - The parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission on Monday stripped MP Lovro Kuščević of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and a former public administration minister of parliamentary immunity at the request of the State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) for the purpose of pressing criminal charges on suspicion of abuse of office and powers.

DORH suspects Kuščević of wrongdoing in real estate transactions and of abuse of office while he was at the helm of the municipality of Nerežišća and that more suspects were involved in the affairs.

Even though the commission's chairman Željko Tušek appealed to MPs not to make any political qualifications, opposition MPs lambasted Kuščević and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

MP Gordan Maras of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) claimed that Kuščević was the prime minister's closest associate, the administration minister until recently and HDZ's political secretary.

"Until two months ago the prime minister fervently defended him and said that he had gone over every sheet of paper with him and that there was nothing contentious there, which is even more concerning," Maras said.

He added that he expects the prime minister to step down if an indictment against Kuščević is upheld because he took political responsibility for him.

Bridge Party MP Robert Podoljnak too considers that the case undoubtedly indicates Prime Minister Plenković's responsibility because he defended Kuščević even though the documents show justified suspicion of a criminal act. He added that it was disappointing that there were no control mechanisms to prevent situations of this nature and that crime and corruption was identified by the media.

Kuščević is suspected of murky real estate deals when he was the mayor of Nerežišća on the island of Brac.

An investigation by the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) is extended to Kuščević's brother-in-law Ivica Žuvić, a former chairman of the Nerežišća municipal council Jakša Goić and incumbent municipal mayor Svemir Obilinović.

More news about corruption in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, August 29, 2019 - The Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH) has sent a request to the national parliament that a lawmaker, Lovro Kuščević, be stripped of his parliamentary immunity due to suspicion that he committed abuse of office and powers, the parliament's Credentials and Privileges Commission (MIP) said on Thursday.

The commission's chairman, Željko Tušek, explained that he would convene a meeting for Friday so that the MIP can discuss the DORH request to be given the green light to launch an investigation into Kuščević who is believed to have been implicated in several real estate murky dealings when he was the municipal head of Nerežišća on the island of Brač.

The MIP has usually to date granted DORH's requests to strip a parliamentary deputy of immunity.

On 20 August, the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) confirmed media reports that, together with the relevant police services (PNUSKOK), it was conducting an investigation into the case of former Public Administration Minister Kuščević, who resigned on 8 July over reported involvement in murky real estate deals.

USKOK said then that it would decide on further steps in this case after collecting the necessary evidence and that the public would be informed in a timely fashion. The information was released after web portals reported that Kuščević’s house on the island of Brač had been searched by the police on the morning of 20 August.

Some web portals claim that Kuščević is suspected of wrongdoing in real estate transactions and of abuse of office while he was at the helm of the municipality and that more suspects were involved in the affairs.

On 8 July, Kuščević resigned from the ministerial post and the post of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) political secretary. Upon his resignation, Kuščević said that he was "a responsible politician".

"I've been in politics a long time," Kuščević said, adding that "it's clear to me that this negative perception in the media, the basis of all the unfounded attacks on me, represents a big burden on both the party and the government."

Kuščević is currently a member of the national parliament and a councillor in the Split-Dalmatia County Assembly.

Kuščević said on Thursday he had no reason to hide behind parliamentary immunity and that he was glad he would have the chance to disprove all the accusations against him.

Speaking to Hina, Kuščević said "there is no reason to treat me differently than any other Croatian citizen. Let the Credentials and Privileges Commission act at its own discretion."

The ex-minister said he was glad he "will finally have the chance... to refute and disprove all the accusations against me, refute all these attacks and present my defence."

Asked who would defend him, Kuščević said he would choose a lawyer, "if that will be necessary at all," after seeing the charges.

More news about corruption in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.