ZAGREB, March 17, 2020 - The Presidency and the National Council of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Monday decided to replace Milijan Brkić as Parliament Deputy Speaker and Miro Kovač as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.

The decision was adopted with a consensus to replace Brkić and nominate Ante Sanader to fill his position and to later agree on the nomination of the person who is going to replace Miro Kovač, HDZ president Andrej Plenković said after the session of the HDZ Presidency and the National Council, the first one after Sunday's intraparty election

Plenković, who was re-elected president, answered in the negative when asked if this was an act of relation against "the losers", saying that the proposed measures were in accordance with the new party organisations and the new leadership.

Plenković won the 79% of the vote for the presidential position, and the election was organised in HDZ branches throughout the country and abroad in line with the one member-one vote principle.

His counter candidate Miro Kovac won 21% of the vote. The party's former deputy president, Brkić, who ran for a vice presidential position, was not elected.

Plenković also commented on the guidelines the European Commission published on Monday for member-countries with principles of integrated and efficient border management in the context of the coronavirus pandemic to protect human health and ensure the functioning of the single market. The guidelines will be presented at the government session on Tuesday.

"The Commission is trying to take measures that would prevent the spreading of the epidemics outside the EU members states, some countries are closing borders inside and what we must do is make a joint European response, while taking into account specific characteristics of each country," Plenković said.

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.

Croatian taxpayers are financing new expensive Audis for three parliament vice presidents. The monthly payment for each car equals the average Croatian citizen’s take-home pay. The brand-new cars were delivered in December 2019, came with 60-month contracts and a monthly installment of 5541 HRK (744 EUR) per car.

Three of Five Vice Presidents Accepted Audi A6

Three of the five deputies in Croatian Parliament accepted and are driving brand new Audi A6 cars, the Croatian Parliament press office confirmed to Hina. The new cars were offered to four vice presidents, as Božo Petrov (Most) had refused an offer to use an official car earlier.

Željko Reiner (HDZ), Furio Radin (NZ) and Siniša Hajdaš-Dončić (SDP) accepted state-funded Audi 6 luxury cars.

Three Vice Presidents accepted the luxury cars: Željko Reiner (HDZ), Furio Radin (NZ) and Siniša Hajdaš-Dončić (SDP). However not Milijan Brkić (HDZ) kept a previously financed Škoda Superb. Unofficially, Brkić will continue to use the official Škoda Superb, rejecting the new official Audi A6, a model purchased for the vice-presidents less than a year before the end of their terms, according to Novi List on January 15, 2020.

Petrov Does Not Want to Spend State Funds on Most

"I do not want to spend the financial resources of the state, or of all taxpayers, for Most’s party needs," explained Petrov, the only vice-president of Parliament who is also his party's president, in his official car waiver. The official car, he says, was returned a year ago, in January 2019, at the beginning of the European Parliament election campaigns, and he maintained this position during the presidential election campaign.

Božo Petrov (Most) refused Audi A6 and Milijan Brkić (HDZ) will keep state-financed Škoda Superb.

"It makes no sense for me to go around the country in a car which belongs to the state, and use it to promote the objectives of Most," Petrov said explicitly.

Parliament has not revealed the cost of the cars. However, they confirmed that the new cars were delivered in December 2019 after 60-month contracts were signed with a monthly installment of 5541 HRK (744 EUR) for each car. Multiplying the monthly payment by 60 months totals 332,460 HRK (44,654 EUR) for each car. Multiplying that total by three comes to a 997,380 HRK (133,961 EUR) bill for Croatian taxpayers to provide Reiner, Radin and Hajdaš-Dončić with luxury cars.

Vice Presidents Not Asked Before UZOP Audi A6 Procurement

The parliament deputies were not consulted before the new cars were purchased according to the press office statement. And parliament itself does procure them, nor does it manage the fleet for its own needs or those of parliamentary officials.

"These affairs are the responsibility of the Ureda za opće poslove Hrvatskog sabora i Vlade (Office for General Affairs of the Croatian Parliament) and the Government, which also manages the transportation for parliament officials, the government and all its offices, as well as the transportation of foreign delegations and protocol programs," the parliamentary press office explained regarding UZOP duties.

From 2014 to March 2019, UZOP had a “certain number of vehicles” at their disposal which were leased to serve the needs of users and the beneficiaries. These vehicle procurements are based on a public procedure and conducted by the Središnji državni ured za javnu nabavu (Central State Office for Public Procurement) and the framework agreement effective 2013.

In 2018, one year prior to the expiration of this contract, UZOP reported the need to procure new cars through financial and operational leasing to the Central State Office. They specified the car classes prescribed by the government and parliamentary decision on the conditions of use for official cars, mobile phones, etc. and guidelines for fleet management.

According to the decision, the vice presidents of the parliament have a right to use an official upper middle-class passenger category auto, according to the parliament statement regarding the length and details of the car procurement process.

Škoda Superb with a 202,343 HRK (27,178 EUR) price tag.

UZOP Purchased 18 Škoda Superb Autos for Croatian Parliament

Since the public procurement procedures for new vehicles were not completed by end of March 2019, and the older purchased autos under previous contracts had to be paid off, several cars were rented for the interim. Those rentals ended on July 15, 2019 when 18 middle-class Škoda Superb cars were purchased with financial leases.

The parliament press office stated that the complete procedure for the procurement of cars, 27 different classes in this case, was according to regulations, to serve the needs all institutions under the jurisdiction of the UZOP and the Central State Office, which provided the technical specifications for the required car classes (engine power, accessories, etc.)

The Central State Office reviews and evaluates the tenders, makes the selection, and then concludes the framework agreement. Neither parliament, UZOP, nor future users of official vehicles influence this process, the press office emphasizes.

New Audi 6 Cars Shipped in December 2019

The procedure for procuring the Audi A6 cars was published in the Narodne novine (Official Gazette) on September 18, 2018, the car selection decision was made on May 2, 2019. The vehicles were delivered in December 2019.

Follow our Politics page to keep updated on the brands and models of taxpayer-funded cars that top Croatian government officials are driving.

ZAGREB, October 20, 2019 - Milijan Brkić, Deputy Parliament Speaker and vice-president of the ruling HDZ party, will not be charged with unlawfully monitoring four women's electronic communications, and neither will his brother Jozo, his close friend Blaž Curić, and former police computer expert Franjo Varga.

Even though prosecutorial authorities have still not formally decided on the case, the Jutarnji List daily of Sunday says that Brkić and the other three men in this case will almost certainly not be indicted because the investigation did not support the initial suspicion that the Brkić brothers, Curić and Varga had committed the offence in question.

After an investigation was launched into Varga on the suspicion that he made for former Dinamo football club executive Zdravko Mamić fake text messages between a former chief state prosecutor and judges from Osijek, as well as that he made similar correspondence for former Agrokor owner Ivica Todorić, police found out, while examining Varga's computer equipment, other interesting details, including information on four women's text messages and e-mail correspondence.

Based on the information as well as on what Varga said when presenting his defence, police launched an investigation and filed a criminal report with prosecutorial authorities in Osijek.

In mid-April the prosecution said that "four Croatian nationals" were under investigation for unlawfully intercepting electronic communications, incitement to such activities, and for computer abuse.

At the time, four women, aged 49, 30, 42 and 31, were mentioned as the victims. As soon as the media mentioned the fact that one of the four women was Milijan Brkić's former wife, she came forward and described the accusations as shameful fabrications.

The other person, whose electronic correspondence Varga allegedly monitored at Brkić's request, was the head of a municipality in the Dalmatian hinterland.

Jutarnji List's sources said that prosecutors in Osijek believe that in this case there are no elements of offences that are prosecuted ex officio but of possibly milder offences such as invasion of the secrecy of letters, which are prosecuted if the injured party requests so. Since no such motions have been filed in this case, no indictment can be expected, the daily says.

Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović today declined to comment on the Jutarnji List article, saying only that as a minister he is not familiar with and cannot speak about ongoing investigations.

More news about Milijan Brkić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, June 4, 2019 - Croatian Democratic Party (HDZ) deputy leader Milijan Brkić said on Tuesday that he did not want to comment on "ridiculous allegations" by the HDZ's chief analyst, Robert Kopal, that the party's slate for the recent European elections was sabotaged.

"I don't want to comment on those ridiculous accusations. The world has seen many a fake prophet and will see many more. Everything I have to say about politics and the party I say within the party, not through the media," Brkić told reporters outside Government House.

Speaking for the N1 private broadcaster, Kopal claimed that he has proof that the HDZ had been sabotaged at the EU election from within the party, which was why the party achieved a much poorer result than had been expected, winning only four seats in the European Parliament.

"A boycott, in the sense of an independent decision by a voter, is absolutely legitimate. But a situation in which someone organises, advises and motivates is sabotage. I certainly won't go public with any names or conclusions before the party makes its conclusions and takes a stance," Kopal said.

"I'm not pointing the finger at Milijan Brkić or anyone else," Kopal said.

More news about Milijan Brkić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, May 8, 2019 - Former police IT specialist Franjo Varga, a suspect in the hacking affair, left a police station in the eastern city of Osijek on Tuesday evening while police are continuing the investigation against him on the suspicion that he revealed official secrets and committed confidentiality breaches.

"The police will inform the prosecutor's office in Zagreb of the results of today's search of the suspect's home. The search of the confiscated electronic equipment continues," sources at the Ministry of the Interior said.

The reason for the latest police action was an article in the Nacional weekly of April 30, headlined "Hacking transcripts", in which the weekly revealed the identities, along with Deputy Parliament Speaker and HDZ party vice-president Milijan Brkić's wife, of another two of four persons whose mobile phone communications were allegedly intercepted by Brkić, his brother Jozo Brkić, Milijan Brkić's friend Blać Curić, and Varga.

After the article was published, prosecutors said that they had instructed the police to launch a preliminary investigation on the suspicion of disclosure of official secrets and a confidentiality breach, with investigators searching Varga's home on Tuesday morning.

Varga was then taken to Osijek for a police questioning, with police officials saying that he is suspected of sharing, without permission, information from the investigation against him and the other suspects.

The editor-in-chief of Nacional weekly, Berislav Jelinić, was also questioned by police, in Zagreb, in connection with the latest developments.

"I cannot reveal what the questioning was about because under the Criminal Procedure Act, the investigation is confidential. I did not reveal the source of information. We discussed the broader context of the fake texts affair. I stated my opinion about it. Generally, it is good that state institutions are doing their job. Unlike some, who complain that institutions are invading their privacy, I have no objection to the conduct of state institutions," Jelinić told the nacional.hr portal.

The weekly, which has been following the fake texts scandal for months, said in its latest issue that in March 2018, Varga's co-defendant Curić, who is Brkić's close friend, asked Varga to monitor Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović's emails, which Varga reportedly did not want.

The Ministry of the Interior then said that police had relayed the information on the case to the prosecutorial authorities and that the investigation in the case was continuing.

The USKOK anti-corruption office suspects Varga and Curić of obstruction of evidence and of aiding and abetting in the commission of said crime.

Prosecutors contend that Varga created fake text messages, including for former football mogul Zdravko Mamić, and that last September Curić warned Varga that he was under investigation.

Police said recently they had brought charges against Milijan Brkić, his brother Jozo Brkić, Varga and Curić, for committing cybernetic offences against several persons.

Brkić was recently questioned for intercepting his former wife's emails by using Varga's services.

The police allegedly found out about computer hacking by examining the computers and documents seized in the case against Varga and Curić.

The prosecutorial authorities have said that the investigation is confidential for the sake of protection of the private lives of the women whose computer systems were hacked.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said during a visit to Brussels on Tuesday that he could not comment on media reports that Milijan Brkić's friend Blaž Curić had ordered Varga to monitor Minister of the Interior Božinović's emails because he did not have the necessary information on the case.

"I really do not have information related to the investigation nor can I have it as Prime Minister. We want light to be fully shed on the entire affair, which is what I have been saying from the start," Plenković said when asked by reporters if he or his team had been targeted by the alleged hackers.

More news about the scandal can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, April 23, 2019 - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) deputy president Milijan Brkić said on Tuesday, ahead of the party's presidency meeting in Zagreb, that in a democracy state institutions rather than political parties prosecute crimes.

"Today the inner presidency is holding a regular meeting. The party president proposes topics for the agenda. As far as I know, this is the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and not the Communist Party, thank God. In a democracy there are state institutions in charge of prosecution and those are definitely not political parties," Brkić said in his comment on media speculations that the HDZ leadership is expected to discuss Brkić's political fate after he, his brother Jozo Brkić and two more men – Franjo Varga and Blaž Curić – were put under investigation for hacking computer systems.

Brkić today said, while coming to the meeting, that he had never criticised the state institutions. Several days ago, Brkić said that it was disgraceful into what some individuals had turned state institutions.

A police statement released on 15 April read that members of the National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (PNUSKOK) in Osijek had completed "a criminal investigation into four Croatian nationals, aged 37, 49, 50 and 50, and on 15 April 2019 filed with the Osijek Municipal Prosecutor's Office a criminal report due to the suspicion that they had committed offences against computer systems, programmes and data to the detriment of several persons."

"There is reasonable suspicion that over a longer period of time one of the suspects, acting at the instigation and with the assistance of the other suspects, committed a number of offences involving the unlawful interception of computer data and computer abuse, thus unlawfully accessing the content of the injured parties' user accounts and making it available to the other suspects," the police statement said.

The prosecutorial authorities in Osijek have recently stated they have launched a confidential investigation into the four suspects, and that the probe is confidential for the sake of protection of private life of the women whose computer systems were hacked.

According to media reports, Brkić was recently questioned for intercepting his former wife's emails by using the services of Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT specialist accused in the fake texts case. The media said Brkić's brother Jozo was also accused in the interception case and that the police allegedly found out about it by examining the computers and documents seized in the case against Varga and Curić, former chauffeur of Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić and a close friend of Brkic.

The USKOK anti-corruption office suspects Varga and Curić in the fake texts case of obstructing the collection of evidence and of aiding and abetting in the commission of said crime.

HDZ leader and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said before the start of a meeting of the party's leadership that the HDZ inner presidency would discuss a budget surplus, the country's credit rating and the party's victory in the forthcoming elections for the European Parliament.

Asked by the press whether the party leadership would discuss the political fate of the HDZ deputy president Milijan Brkić, who was put under investigation for hacking his former wife's emails, Plenković said that they would discuss "the surplus, credit investment rating, the victory in the European elections and other topics".

Responding to reporters' questions about Brkić's fate, the HDZ political secretary and Public Administration Minister, Lovro Kuščević, said that everyone involved in the case must be heard out.

"We have heard that Brkić has something to say about this situation, and when we hear what both sides have to say, we will discuss it," Kuščević said.

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, April 19, 2019 - The Osijek municipal office of the Chief State Prosecutor has launched a confidential investigation into Parliament Deputy Speaker and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) vice-president, Milijan Brkić, his brother Jozo Brkić and two more men – Franjo Varga and Blaž Curić, the two suspects in the fake text messages case – for hacking computer systems.

The prosecutorial authorities did not reveal the identities of the suspects in their press release on Thursday, and they only stated that they had initiated an investigation against the four suspects after receiving a criminal report filed by the police against those four persons for committing "offences against computer systems, programmes and data to the detriment of a number of persons."

The police statement which was released this past Monday read that members of the National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (PNUSKOK) in Osijek had completed "a criminal investigation into four Croatian nationals, aged 37, 49, 50 and 50, and on 15 April 2019 filed with the Osijek Municipal Prosecutor's Office a criminal report due to the suspicion that they had committed offences against computer systems, programmes and data to the detriment of several persons."

"There is reasonable suspicion that over a longer period of time one of the suspects, acting at the instigation and with the assistance of the other suspects, committed a number of offences involving the unlawful interception of computer data and computer abuse, thus unlawfully accessing the content of the injured parties' user accounts and making it available to the other suspects," the police statement said.

The prosecutorial authorities say that their investigation is confidential for the sake of protection of private life of the women whose computer systems were hacked.

According to media reports, Brkić was questioned last week for intercepting his former wife's emails by using the services of Franjo Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT specialist accused in the fake texts case.

The media said Brkić's brother Jozo was also accused in the interception case and that the police allegedly found out about it by examining the computers and documents seized in the case against Varga and Curić, former chauffeur of Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić and a close friend of Brkić.

The USKOK anti-corruption office suspects Varga and Curić in the fake texts case of obstructing the collection of evidence and of aiding and abetting in the commission of said crime.

More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, April 16, 2019 - Commenting on a criminal complaint filed against the deputy speaker of parliament and deputy leader of the ruling HDZ party, Milijan Brkić, in the so-called false text messages case, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said on Tuesday that the principle of presumption of innocence should apply to all citizens.

"I have no comment. I can only say that the principle under which anyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty must always apply to all citizens of Croatia, including politicians," Grabar-Kitarović told reporters.

She said she could not interfere in the work of judicial authorities.

Police said on Monday they had brought charges against Milijan Brkić, his brother, and Franjo Varga and Blaz Curić, two suspects in the fake text messages case, for committing cybernetic offences against several persons.

According to media reports, Brkić was questioned last week for intercepting his former wife's emails by using the services of Franjo Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT expert accused in the fake texts case.

Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday that he did not have enough information about the case of Deputy Speaker Milijan Brkić.

When asked by the press if Brkić should step down as Deputy Parliament Speaker considering the criminal report against him, Jandroković said: "At this moment, I don't have enough information to be able to answer that question, I expect that in the coming days we will learn what the case is about and then we will discuss the matter and see how to proceed."

He added that he had not talked to Brkić yet but would when the time came.

Jandroković resolutely dismissed claims that state institutions are being used for intra-party conflicts. "I can say with certainty that they are not being used for that nor is there any evidence of that. If someone has evidence of abuse of state institutions for political score-settling, they should submit it," Jandroković told reporters after a session of the Parliament Presidency.

Responding to a reporter's remark that Brkić himself had accused police and state institutions of trying to frame him, Jandroković said that Brkić's accusations were serious and that they would "most definitely" have to discuss them. "However, it is still too early to talk about it because I don't have all the information on the criminal report. Once I have more information, I will be able to give a better answer," said Jandroković.

He would not give a straightforward answer when asked if the affair was harming the HDZ. "We will see what the coming days will bring, at the moment I don't know what the charges are about and I cannot say more," he said, adding that as the HDZ's secretary-general he had not talked to Brkić yet. "We will talk most definitely, when the time comes," he added.

Asked if one would have to wait for a regular parliament session or call an early one if a request was made to strip Brkić of immunity as a member of parliament, Jandroković said that those were hypothetical questions which he could not answer at present.

Social Democratic Party (SDP) whip Arsen Bauk on Tuesday did not want to predict the "political future and judicial fate," of Brkić, claiming that HDZ "is obviously using certain institutions to send messages to individuals."

"As far as his further political future and judicial fate is concerned, we will see how that will unravel," Bauk told reporters commenting on the criminal complaint against Brkić. “How does the saying go (...) 'something is rotten in the country of Denmark.' It is obvious that HDZ is using certain institutions to send messages to individuals. That is the perception. We will see what will come of that," Bauk underscored.

The MOST party's political secretary Nikola Grmoja said today that this was an internal HDZ party dispute and that MOST did not intend to occupy itself with HDZ's scandals. If we were to occupy ourselves with HDZ's scandals, we wouldn't have time for anything else. MOST will focus on its proposals during the EP election campaign, he added.

More news on Milijan Brkić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, April 15, 2019 - Without revealing the suspects' identities, police on Monday said that they had filed a criminal report against HDZ party deputy president and Deputy Parliament Speaker Milijan Brkić, his brother, and Franjo Varga and Blaž Curić, the two suspects in the fake text messages case, for committing "offences against computer systems, programmes and data to the detriment of a number of persons."

A police statement read that members of the National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (PNUSKOK) in Osijek have completed "a criminal investigation into four Croatian nationals, aged 37, 49, 50 and 50, and on 15 April 2019 filed with the Osijek Municipal Prosecutor's Office a criminal report due to the suspicion that they had committed offences against computer systems, programmes and data to the detriment of several persons."

"There is reasonable suspicion that over a longer period of time one of the suspects, acting at the instigation and with the assistance of the other suspects, committed a number of offences involving the unlawful interception of computer data and computer abuse, thus unlawfully accessing the content of the injured parties' user accounts and making it available to the other suspects," the police statement said.

According to media reports, Brkić was questioned last week for intercepting his former wife's emails by using the services of Franjo Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT expert accused in the fake texts case.

The media said Brkić's brother Jozo was also accused in the interception case and that the police allegedly found out about it by examining the computers and documents seized in the case against Varga and Blaž Curić, former chauffeur of Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić and a close friend of Brkić.

The USKOK anti-corruption office suspects Varga and Curić in the fake texts case of obstructing the collection of evidence and of aiding and abetting in the commission of said crime.

Prosecutors contend that Varga created fake text messages, including for former football mogul Zdravko Mamić, and that last September Curić warned Varga that he was under investigation.

After the affair came to light, the media claimed that Varga's services were also used by former HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko and Brkić, both of whom denied the accusations.

More news about Milijan Brkić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, April 14, 2019 - Prime Minister and HDZ president Andrej Plenković would not comment on Sunday on reports that parliament's deputy speaker and his party's deputy president Milijan Brkić was questioned by police a few days ago as part of an investigation into the fake text messages case, saying the case could hurt the HDZ in the campaign for the European Parliament elections only if someone wanted to make fabrications to that end.

"I read this information that was in the media last night as well as the statement from the Interior Ministry. At this moment, there's no additional information and I don't want to comment on something I don't know enough about," Plenković told the press in Jasenovac.

He said he had not talked with Brkić. Asked if this case could hurt the HDZ's EP election campaign, he said, "I really don't see what this has to do with the HDZ and its candidates or the European Parliament elections. I can't see a connection even if I wanted to."

A journalist remarked that "all sorts of things are coming to light" in the fake texts case, Plenković said he did not know and had no contact with the people involved.

The media reported on Saturday that Brkić was questioned as a suspect two days before for intercepting his wife's emails by using the services of Franjo Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT expert accused in the fake texts case.

Citing confidentiality, police director Nikola Milina did not tell the press today in what capacity Brkić was questioned in the fake texts case.

Brkić said last night it was a disgrace "what individuals have turned state institutions into."

Asked if he agreed with Brkić, Plenković said he was not familiar with the case and that institutions should be left to do their job.

More news about Brkić can be found in the Politics section.