October the 5th, 2021 - Disgraced Zagreb entrepreneur Tomislav Horvatincic is finally behind bars for causing the deaths of an Italian couple in a maritime incident several years ago. Behind bars, however, might be too much of a strong statement, as the wealthy businessman, currently unwell, is moved from Lipovica prison to Krapinske Toplice.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the decision to move Tomislav Horvatincic from Lipovica prison to the facility at Krapinske Toplice was made at the suggestion of the penitentiary manager, after the Hospital for Persons Deprived of Liberty stated that it could not provide him with the adequate medical care he currently requires.

After being transferred from Remetinec (a prison in Zagreb) to the penitentiary in Lipovica back on September the 7th, he spent ten days in isolation in the open part, which is actually eight kilometres away from the penitentiary itself. Tomislav Horvatincic was then transported to the Special Hospital in Krapinske Toplice on Monday to be provided with the medical treatment he needs.

He was transported to the Krapinske Toplice location accompanied by police officers.

To briefly recall some of the most recent developments in the very long saga surrounding Tomislav Horvatincic, the entrepreneur asked for the postponement of the execution of his prison sentence until the end of the year precisely because of his apparently quite rapidly deteriorating state of health, but his request wasn't granted.

After spending 21 days in rehabilitation, a competent doctor can freely suggest an extension of the rehabilitation process, and he can ask for it to continue for up to six months at most, because that is the right that the law gives him regardless of his wrongdoings. If it is estimated that he would need a longer rehabilitation period in addition to the 21 days he is initially entitled to, he may be granted a suspended sentence.

Tomislav Horvatincic's lawyer, Velimir Dosen, revealed that he actually didn't know that his client was going to Krapinske Toplice, Jutarnji list reports.

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ZAGREB, December 4, 2019 - The County Court in the coastal city of Zadar has handed down a final verdict in the case of businessman Tomislav Horvatinčić, charged with causing a maritime accident in which an Italian couple were killed in August 2011.

The court, however, would not confirm media reports that the trial court's conviction of four years and ten months in prison has been upheld.

"The ruling was made on Monday, and on Tuesday it was dispatched to the Municipal Court in Šibenik which delivered the first-instance ruling. That's all I can confirm," Zadar County Court spokesman Hrvoje Visković told Hina on Wednesday.

The Šibenik Municipal Court has not yet formally received the ruling.

The Novi List newspaper said on its front page on Wednesday that the Zadar court had upheld the prison sentence of four years and ten months for Horvatinčić.

Three trials were held against the 77-year-old businessman on the charge that he had run his yacht into the sailing boat of the Italian couple Salpietro and killed them. The third verdict, of March this year, found him guilty and sentenced him to four years and ten months in prison.

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

As tportal writes on the 13th of March, 2019, Tomislav Horvatinčić has been found guilty of causing a maritime accident that killed an Italian couple, Francesco and Mariella Salpietro, back in August 2011. He was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison for the act, and he is also forbidden to own a driving license for five years, if the verdict becomes final he will also have to dip into his infamously deep pockets and pay 190,000 kuna in court costs.

Otherwise, the Zagreb entrepreneur and serial traffic ''accident'' participant Tomislav Horvatinčić did not appear at the Šibenik court.

The verdict was handed over to Tomislav Horvatinčić by the trial chamber presided over by Judge Ivan Jurišić after two previous judgments - the first which convicted him, and the second which actually acquitted him for his claim of ''syncope'', which saw a backlash of astronomic proportions unleashed upon Judge Maja Šupe. Tomislav Horvatinčić still has the right to appeal this verdict within fifteen days, whether or not he sees it as worth it at this point however, is another matter.

Judge Jurišić explained in the explanation of the verdict that Tomislav Horvatinčić did not properly observe his surroundings when he was driving the boat, thus failing to see the sailboat operated by the Salpietro couple who lost their lives owing to the incident. The judge described the vessel's erratic movements and then went on to read the details of the terrible injuries suffered by the Salpietro couple which resulted in their deaths, Večernji list reports.

The judge stated that, among other things, it has been disputed that the disgraced Zagreb entrepreneur mentioned his so-called ''syncope'' to a doctor a couple of days after the tragic incident. The vessel's movements after the incident also suggest that Tomislav Horvatinčić was conscious and functioning normally after the incident, meaning that he was fully aware and in control of his actions.

The Zagreb tycoon didn't even notice the boat which was being operated by the Salpietro couple. ''That's Horvatinčić's failure alone,'' the judge said in his explanation, adding that Tomislav Horvatinčić ran into the boat at full speed and was aware that he could very easily harm or endanger others.

The mitigating circumstances when it comes to the level of punishment for the act are the older age and the health situation of Tomislav Horvatinčić, but it doesn't stand in his favour that he has several such ''accidents'' under his belt.

Horvatinčić's lawyer, Veljko Miljević, appeared today in court, but as stated, Horvatinčić was nowhere to be seen. Asked by journalists whether Horvatinčić would come in person to hear the verdict, he simply said: ''Look in there and you'll see.''

''It's not obligatory for him to come. You could have noticed that he's not been in the best state of health recently, and in court he said that he had delayed some surgery twice for the trial so that this procedure could take place as quickly and as efficiently as possible,'' said Miljević in a clear attempt to paint a more favourable picture of his client, announcing that an appeal would be lodged when he receives a written version of the verdict.

Speaking exclusively to Total Croatia News, Federico Salpietro, the son of the Italian couple who lost their lives at the hands of Tomislav Horvatinčić's ''syncope at sea'', said: 

''For about 8 years, we've been forced to live with frequent flashbacks of the saddest event that has happened in our lives due to this extremely long trial. For about 8 years, we have been outraged by an unbelievable defense strategy which since the beginning we perceived as a strong offensive strategy and as psychological violence. For about 8 years, we have had to deal with different verdicts, a lot of court hearings, several technical and medical experts' reports, uncountable interviews with international newspapers, official investigations requested by the Croatian, Italian and European parliaments, multiple meetings and phonecalls with politicians, embassies and consulates and an indefinite number of talks with our lawyers. For about 8 years, we have been at the forefront of the power of lies against the priceless importance of dignity and humanity. For about 8 years we have been feeling alone in the middle of the Adriatic sea, where our mum and dad died that Tuesday morning.

After tomorrow's verdict, we hope to finally find a safe dock. We hope this will lead us into a brighter future with much more humanity. We seek for the truth to come out. We hope Croatia can become a safer place.

Thanks to all the people who showed their professionality in working to this case and to the others who spent kind words for us and had a positive attitude throughout these [seemingly] endless years.''

The Salpietro family emphasised that they also want to thank the journalists who have helped them through this impossibly difficult time, and that they wish to come back to Croatia, a country they once adored, soon.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated news page.

ZAGREB, March 9, 2019 - The municipal court in the coastal town of Šibenik is expected to deliver its ruling on Wednesday regarding the case of businessman Tomislav Horvatinčić who is charged with causing a fatal maritime accident in August 2011 when an Italian couple – Francesco and Marinella Salpietro – were killed.

On Friday, both the prosecution and the defence held their closing statements, with the prosecution suggesting that Horvatinčić should be found guilty and given a prison sentence, whereas his attorneys insisted on their client's innocence.

This has been his second retrial after he was jailed to 20 months in prison with three years' probation following the first trial in 2017. After the appeals of the prosecution and the defence were upheld, Horvatinčić went on a retrial in 2018 and he was then acquitted. However, in May 2018, the Zadar County Court's Appeals Chamber quashed the acquittal and ordered the second retrial.

The Appeals Chamber said that the presiding judge in the first retrial committed major breaches of the penal code as the reasons for the acquittal were significantly contradictory, which was why the Chamber could not examine the verdict, and that the judge's acceptance of syncope, a temporary loss of consciousness was particularly contradictory, which was the argument clearing Horvatinčić of the charge of killing the Salpietro couple.

The accident occurred near Primošten on 6 August 2011 when Horvatinčić, hit the sailboat of Francesco and Marinella Salpietro from Padua while he travelling at a speed of 26.3 knots in his speedboat, killing the couple.

More news on the Horvatinčić case can be found in the News section.

The Zagreb entrepreneur faces the music once again.

Will justice ever catch up with the formidable Zagreb entreprener? It remains to be seen.

ZAGREB, May 9, 2018 - The Zadar County Court's Appeals Chamber has quashed the acquittal of businessman Tomislav Horvatinčić over a fatal maritime accident and he will be retried before a new panel of judges.

A reminder from across the Adriatic that the Croatian legal system's shameful acquittal of rich Zagreb entrepreneur Tomislav ''Tomo'' Horvatinčić hasn't been forgotten.

In case you were wondering how this situation with Agrokor might turn out...

Professor Željko Marušić has his say on the subject of Tomislav Horvatinčić's acquittal.