ZAGREB, 28 April 2022 - Justice Minister Ivan Malenica said on Thursday that last year Croatian courts received 1.3 million cases, 158,000 more than in 2020, and that in terms of cases per 100,000 population, Croatia was near the top in the EU.

Last year, the courts closed 98,000 more cases, he said in parliament, presenting amendments to the Civil Procedure Act aimed at stepping up, simplifying and modernising proceedings.

The amendments are part of a set so that our judiciary becomes more efficient and so that citizens can solve their disputes as quickly as possible, the minister said.

The amendments stipulate that first instance proceedings should be over in three years and second instance proceedings in one. In disputes when small amounts are involved, proceedings must end in the first instance and six months in appeal. A preparatory hearing must be held within three months and the main hearing in six at the latest.

The amendments also envisage the mandatory audio recording of the proceedings.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, May 21, 2020 - Ana Karamarko, wife of former HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko, was released from custody on Wednesday evening because anti-corruption investigators did not ask that she be remanded in custody after earlier in the day she was arrested as part of an investigation into the suspected financial crime.

Karamarko was questioned on Wednesday evening by investigators with the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK), after which she was released pending further proceedings, Hina learned from sources close to the investigation.

Her lawyer Ivo Farcic said that his client had denied any involvement in the criminal activity she is suspected of.

"She is suspected of issuing an invoice in the amount of HRK 400,000 for a service rendered, but she is not suspected of having kept the money for herself," Farcic said.

A decision on whether the other 30 people arrested as part of the investigation will be remanded in custody will be known after they are questioned. The investigation covers nine companies and 38 persons, one of whom has been in prison from before while six are currently beyond the reach of Croatian police.

Tomislav Pavkovic and Oliver Kolobaric are believed to have led the group suspected of conspiring for the purpose of evading taxes and customs duties, abuse of trust in business operations, and aiding and abetting the commission of those crimes.

The group, suspected of using fictitious contracts to siphon HRK 20 million from a number of companies, defrauding the state of HRK 11 million in the process, was allegedly put together by the two men.

The persons in question and their companies are suspected of charging non-existent services via fictitious invoices and tax fraud from 2017 until 2019.