ZAGREB, 23 Feb 2022 - Attorney Anto Nobilo said on Tuesday that Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević hired him after the USKOK anti-corruption office accused him of incitement to abuse of office in the allocation of incentives to businesses.

Speaking to Hina, Nobilo said he was now waiting to see the case file so that he could start preparing a defence.

He said Milošević had not been questioned at USKOK nor summoned, and that he would not state his defence before seeing the case file.

Nobilo said Milošević was accused of incitement to abuse of office.

Speaking for RTL television earlier in the evening, he said that, judging by the decision to conduct an investigation, incitement was suspected but there was room for a defence.

"Milošević believes that he is not guilty," Nobilo said. "He advocated for the constituents who elected him and did not ask someone else to commit a crime."

Nobilo said Milošević should not appeal against the investigation, which is also looking into Darko Horvat, who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of abuse of office, after which he was relieved of duty as construction minister at his own request.

"I suggested against it because there is reasonable doubt. USKOK embarked on a criminal procedure absolutely correctly upon getting a witness deposition. It believed the deposition and that, as a basis of reasonable doubt, is enough to launch an investigation," Nobilo said.

USKOK is investigating six persons. Horvat, who is in one month's custody, and his former aide Ana Mandac are accused of abuse of office.

Besides Milošević, USKOK is accusing of incitement to abuse of office, according to unconfirmed information, Regional Development and EU Funds Ministry state secretary Velimir Žunac, the head of the Administration for assisted areas, Katica Mišković, and former minister Tomislav Tolušić.

As the main suspect, Horvat was arrested after Mandac told USKOK that incentives were allocated to businesses that did not meet the criteria when Horvat served as economy minister. Horvat claims he was only signing documents brought to him by Mandac.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

February the 23rd, 2022 - An unofficial source has suggested that Darko Horvat's replacement could be Stjepan Curaj, but this is yet to be confirmed in any sense with any certainty.

The now former Minister Darko Horvat is being held in custody following his arrest for alleged corruption, about which we've written extensively since the situation occurred over the past few days. USKOK swooped in and as much as PM Andrej Plenkovic tried to calm things, people are rightly up in arms about yet another minister being investigated and arrested for the apparently age-old (alleged) crime of corruption.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the name of the new minister set to come and take Horvat's place is still not officially known, but as was unofficially confirmed by the Government for N1, it could be Stjepan Curaj, the head of the HNS (Hrvatska Narodna Stranka/Croatian People's Party).

Maybe someone else is still in the game with their eye on Darko Horvat's still warm chair, maybe those people could be still valid options, but according to unofficial sources from the Government, Stjepan Curaj is said to already be a member of the Banija/Banovina (post-earthquake) reconstruction staff, is entirely informed about the whole story, is very familiar with the details and the belief is that he would do his best in that business.

The party involved isn't one that you tend to hear of anywhere as much as the likes of HDZ or SDP, but despite that, it is a party that split in order to save the Government of Andrej Plenkovic back in the day, and they paid for that in the elections.

If the Prime Minister does end up deciding that Stjepan Curaj will be the new minister to take over from Horvat, he might be indebted to the Croatian People's Party which saved him in his last term when he expelled Most (Bridge) from the Government, and maybe he would actually seek to somehow reward the Croatian People's Party for their part in that sticky situation.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

ZAGREB, 20 Feb 2022 - Political analyst Žarko Puhovski said on Saturday that Minister Darko Horvat's arrest will not undermine the government if the matter remains within the limits of that minister, and Davor Gjenero believes that speculations of snap elections are dangerous amid unpredictable global developments.

Construction and State Assets Minister Darko Horvat was arrested on Saturday on the abuse of power charges, and upon his apprehension the minister dismissed the charges.

The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) on Saturday evening stated that based on a police report, it launched an investigation of two persons on suspicion of abuse of office, and that another four suspects in the case are accused of incitement to the offence.

USKOK did not reveal the identities of the six suspects, however, earlier in the day media outlets reported that the suspects are Construction Minister Darko Horvat, his former aide Ana Mandac, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, the Regional Development Ministry's state secretary Velimir Žunac, the director of the administration for assisted areas, Katica Mišković, and former minister Tomislav Tolušić.

According to USKOK's statement, in his previous capacity as economy minister, Horvat is believed to have signed off on the disbursement of grants in the amount of HRK 2.6 million (€347,000) to some businesses that are ineligible for aid, between November 2018 to the end of 2018, at the urging of Tolušić, Milošević, Žunac and Mišković.

Upon his arrest, Horvat resigned. 

Commenting on the developments, the analyst Puhovski told Hina on Saturday evening that in the event that the case remained within the limits pertaining to Horvat, the cabinet led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković would not be negatively affected by the scandal.

"The developments could even make things easier for PM Plenković, as in this way he got rid of the minister with the poorest performance", said the pundit.

"However, if the whole case expands to include Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, all this will grow into a serious issue both for the government and for the ruling coalition. In such scenario, it is possible to have discussions on early elections, however I do not believe that we will have them soon," said this analyst.

Puhovski agrees with Plenković that the gravity of the arrest of a minister required the appearance of the State Attorney General in the public to give further explanations.

Upon Horvat's arrest, Plenković held an impromptu news conference in which he said, among other things, that he expected the State Attorney's Office (DORH) to explain the urgency of the actions taken.

However, DORH said later that it and the attorney general would not comment on the Prime Minister call on DORH, and that "the competent state attorney's office and the USKOK anti-corruption office are taking action in line with the law."

Puhovski said that this was the second time in the present-day Croatia that an incumbent minister was arrested, and he believes that it is unfair from DORH to give only a press release claiming that prosecutors are doing their job in line with laws and that they will not give any explanations to anybody.

"They should have informed the general public what this is about, as the arrest concerns a minister," said Puhovski.

One pundit for early election, another believes it would be dangerous in current circumstances

On the other hand pundit Anđelko Milardović criticises PM Plenković for making statements which, he says, interfere in the work of DORH.

This pundit slams Plenković for "authoritarian tendencies that also smack of the dictatorial way of governance."

Milardović also said that Horvat should have been dismissed instantly, and that the Prime Minister should also have resigned.

While Milardović believes that the ruling majority should dissolve itself, another political analyst Gjenero told Hina that calling for snap elections in the current circumstances of unpredictable global developments, is dangerous.

Gjenero finds it odd that the arrest of Horvat and this case implicating his former aide Mandac was not a follow-up to "the wind park" case in which Mandac was also a suspect, but that this is being regarded as an entirely different matter.

This analyst also points out that the latest allegations concern the coalition between the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the biggest party representing an ethnic minority, the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS). 

"This is always a politically sensitive situation, I am very reserved about what that can be actually," he said, adding that the affair could give ammunition to those who claim that the HDZ-SDSS coalition is an outcome of a trade-off.

"If there are any elements hinting at corruption, those involved must immediately step down, however I find this whole case an odd precedent", he added.

More on this story from yesterday:

Minister Horvat Denies Guilt, Anti-Corruption Office Demands Remand in Custody

State Attorney's Office says Won't Comment on PM's Statement After Minister's Arrest

Grbin: Election Only Salvation for Croatia

Čačić: Horvat Has to Go, Reformists' Support Depends on Police Operation's Results

Croatian Prime Minister Blames USKOK for Ruining Croatia's Spectacular Week

PM Calls on Prosecutors to Explain Case Implicating Minister Horvat 

Police Probe is Targeting Horvat and Milošević, Aladrović not Implicated

February the 20th, 2022 - The Darko Horvat scandal which has dominated the press over the last few days has been too much even by Croatian standards according to some. One Index journalist, Goran Vojkovic, believes it's time for PM Andrej Plenkovic to step down.

As Index/Goran Vojkovic writes, the State Attorney's Office Act states that ''any form of influence is prohibited, especially any form of coercion against state attorneys and deputy state attorneys, the abuse of public authority and personal influence, and the use of media and public appearances in criminal cases prosecuted ex officio and in cases where the state attorney or deputy the State Attorney performs his powers and duties in the protection of the property of the Republic of Croatia.''

It was a very difficult, rainy Saturday for the Prime Minister, it was a bit like the sky was crying for the HDZ (again). Things should have been completely different during that day. Over in Brussels, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic managed to get an extension of the deadline in which Croatia has to spend European Union money for reconstruction, because Croatia didn't manage to spend any of that money on time. The newly arrested Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Property, Darko Horvat, is in charge of this reconstruction process. It seems now that the Horvat scandal is only just beginning.

In addition to the above, Croatia was visited by an American carrier, which is, in fact, a matter of global relations and is nothing new for the country, the two nations from each side of the Atlantic Ocean have been allies in this regard since back in 1952, when Tito, dressed up in his white uniform, walked along the bridge of the American carrier Coral Sea. But in a country full of scandals, while energy prices are rampant, any extra time will come in handy for the post-earthquake reconstruction that we didn't bother to do and of course, for a walk on this American carrier.

The Prime Minister's easy Saturday morning coffee was interrupted by the Horvat scandal, and that's never a good way in which to start the day.

The prime minister was probably planning a quiet family morning donning a comfortable dressing gown, sipping a coffee, surfing the internet on his tablet which would have been packed with praise and good news and enjoying the view of the calming Zagreb rain through the window of his warm apartment. And then came some very awkward news - a search of the house of the Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Property. The Horvat scandal had broken.

This would never be good news, but it was a very awkward story indeed for Saturday, especially because Andrej Plenkovic himself had said a few days ago: "I will not be removing anyone until the end of my term." The kiss of death? Maybe. Moreover, as the slow recovery process after the earthquakes of 2020 was the reason for the opposition in parliament to demand the removal of Minister Horvat, just two weeks ago Plenkovic signed a sixteen-page document defending the newly arrested minister.

Plenkovic responded to Saturday's events and the Darko Horvat scandal with a direct verbal attack on the State Attorney's Office, asking for explanations, and his entire appearance in front of the camera can be described as: "Do you even know who I am?!"

According to the State Attorney's Office Act, the State Attorney's Office doesn't have to justify what it does to the PM. It is an autonomous and independent judicial body, not a government body, and it isn't under an executive branch. Just asking them for additional talks and some special explanations to the Prime Minister can be interpreted as an attempt to influence them, which is strictly forbidden. Andrej Plenkovic, very well versed in law himself, knows that all too well.

But why is Plenkovic so nervous about the unfolding Horvat scandal? Because he is personally responsible for the selection of Minister Horvat, as well as every member of the government. Let us remember - the person who collects 76 signatures in the parliament receives the mandate to form the government from the President of the Republic and becomes the Prime Minister when the Parliament confirms the election of the Prime Minister. Ministers don't come to their positions by way of interviews and tenders, they're people trusted by the future prime minister himself, who he himself proposes for the position.

If any of these people nominated by Plenkovic personally for the highest office in the country have been arrested on suspicion of very serious corruption, then this is not only the problem of that minister, but also the problem of Plenkovic on a very personal level. Why would we trust him any more if he can't put his team in order? Nobody imposed these people on him, he guaranteed both the deputies and the people of Croatia that they were the best choices for their respective positions.

Does Plenkovic still guarantee the knowledge, ability and honesty of his ministers?

Plenkovic repeatedly vouched for all these people, for their ability, honour and honesty. Therefore, we completely agree that he shouldn't remove anyone by the end of his term, but should resign, himself, as Prime Minister of Croatia.

The Prime Minister can't keep repeating until the end of the century that he didn't know about the problematic behaviours of the people he himself elected or at a lower level signed for their appointment. He, by proposing these people to these positions, vouched for them personally. As far as the legal responsibility of Minister Horvat is concerned, it is, of course, a matter for the courts, but political responsibility for this affair, this crisis and this shame (because of the brazen inaction of Minister Horvat, Plenkovic was forced to ask the EU for a new deadline for the spending of the funds from the Solidarity Fund) is on Andrej Plenkovic.

The news that Plenkovic fired Minister Horvat at his request doesn't change anything. It is only a small legal maneuver. Horvat knows that he cannot remain in office, and in this way he makes things easier for the party chief.

If anyone knows how to embarrass this country - HDZ definitely knows

But, realistically, it's highly unlikely that Plenkovic will decide to resign on the back of the Horvat scandal. He has enough dogs in his fight, and most of the opposition is not going to want new elections, they wouldn't be re-elected to the parliament. In addition, his resignation would mean the end of Plenkovic's political career instead of its continuation somewhere else a bit more flashy, let's say in the European Commission. Even now, it will be difficult for Plenkovic to explain that billions intended for the reconstruction should have been managed by the minister who has now been arrested. If anyone knows how to embarrass this country, then HDZ definitely knows.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 19 Feb 2022 - Construction Minister Darko Horvat said he was not guilty of abuse of office during Saturday's questioning at the USKOK anti-corruption office, according to his attorney, while USKOK demanded he be remanded in custody.

Horvat's attorney Vladimir Terešak told the press his client answered all the questions. "He believes that he did not commit the crime he is being accused of and that no one made any illegal gains."

Later today a Zagreb County Court judge will decide whether to remand Horvat in custody.

Terešak said he did not know on what grounds USKOK was demanding remand.

He said Horvat was being accused of abuse of office and powers, specifically, that certain companies which applied to a tender were given right of priority regardless of the required documents.

Horvat is denying that and claims that the ministry's services handled that and not him, he added.

Terešak said Horvat was accused of abuse of office alongside a number of persons and that all the evidence was from another case in which his former aide Ana Mandac, a suspect in this case, was also accused.

"The minister doesn't do that, but the ministry's expert services. He knows neither how many points one has nor is he acquainted with it. He signed what the expert service, that is (Mandac), gave him to sign, believing it was right."

Mandac was relieved of duty after becoming a suspect in the wind park case alongside former state secretary Josipa Rimac. According to the media, the accused in that case have started plea-bargaining.

According to unofficial information, the police are investigating Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević besides Horvat.

Hina has learned from sources close to the investigation that the police are also investigating Regional Development and EU Funds Ministry state secretary Velimir Žunac, the director of the administration for assisted areas, Katica Mišković, and former minister Tomislav Tolušić.

For more, check out our politics section.

January 19th, 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Blames USKOK for Ruining Croatia's Spectacular Week

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković held an impromptu news conference following the arrest of Construction Minister Darko Horvat. The Prime Minister started the news conference by making an overview of the great week Croatia just had. He goes on to mention “major political events” such as the arrival of the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in Split, government inflation measures, EU Fund Absorption extension, and contract signing for the Lekenik-Sisak section of the A11 motorway.

After he used the opening few minutes to commend the work of his government this week, he finally comments on the fact that one of his Ministers was arrested for alleged abuse of authority. Prime Minister ironically thanks to the DORH (State's Attorney Office of the Republic of Croatia) for the new political event he has to handle now and continues to shortly go through the case while mentioning other politicians that are potentially involved. USKOK (Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime) is a special state attorney ofice specialised for the prosecution of corruption and organised crime who is in charge of this case. Finally, we get to the point where the Prime Minister comments on the suspicious timing and over-dramatization while blaming DORH of having a hidden agenda. He continues to blame the media of creating a dramatic atmosphere and USKOK for unauthorized leak of information related to this investigation. The whole press conference passed with Prime Minister downplaying the importance of this case and stating that the case is dealing with relatively smaller sums while making accussation torwards both the press and the State's Attorney Office.

Without going into detail regarding the alleged abuse of authority, it is very interesting to see that during a political turmoil, when one of your ministers is arrested, Croatia's Prime Minister takes the opportunity to commend the work of his government. What is more he tries to relativize the the whole case even though he states that he does not know anything more than the general public. Political spins, accusations and arguments are not something unusual for Croatia's political scene, but as always Croatian politicians never fail to amaze us. 

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 19 Feb 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Saturday held an impromptu news conference following the arrest of Construction Minister Darko Horvat and called on the Office of State Attorney-General (DORH) to explain the case in greater detail.

Construction Minister Darko Horvat was driven in a police car from his hometown in Međimurje to the Zagreb headquarters of the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) for further questioning on Saturday afternoon after his house in Donja Dubrava was searched by the police.

Horvat's lawyer, Vladimir Terešak, told the national HTV broadcaster that the minister had been arrested and that he would be interrogated in the USKOK main offices in Zagreb.

On Saturday morning, media outlets reported that the police were searching the flat of Minister Darko Horvat in connection with his former aide Ana Mandac implicated in the scandal dubbed wind parks where the main suspect is a former state secretary Josipa Rimac.

According to the unofficial information, the ongoing probe relates to the allocation of grants under an aid scheme for crafts and SMEs in the areas populated by ethnic minorities while Horvat served as Economy Minister.

For more, check out our politics section.

February 19, 2022 - Crisis in the Croatian government, as the USKOK launches investigation against several of its officials. Construction Minister Darko Horvat was arrested this morning for alleged abuse of authority, and an emergency meeting is underway. USKOK suspects that Horvat gave 2.6 million kuna in illegal incentives.

In addition to Minister Darko Horvat, as Telegram has learned, investigators have also focused on former Minister Tomislav Tolušić. Along with them, according to the information available so far, this latest procedure also applies to Horvat's former assistant Ana Mandac. Jutarnji List finds out that Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević and Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Josip Aladrović are also under investigation. According to the information provided so far, they are suspected of seeking employment through a connection and due to the granting of incentives.

According to currently available information, the Minister of Construction is associated with abuse of office and authority. Sources say investigators are investigating Horvat's role in the abuses suspected by his former assistant Ana Mandac. USKOK suspects that, at the request of Josipa Rimac, Mandac arranged support for craftsmen from the Ministry of Economy at the time when it was led by Horvat.

Horvat arrested

Minister Darko Horvat was arrested this morning, his lawyer Vladimir Teresak confirmed to Media Servis. USKOK suspects that Horvat gave 2.6 million kuna in illegal grants and incentives. According to information from sources close to the investigation, Minister Darko Horvat should be questioned by USKOK in the early afternoon. He will be brought to the USKOK headquarters in Vlaška Street in Zagreb, where he will be able to testify in the presence of a lawyer.

Photo: Vjeran Zganec Rogulja/PIXSELL

This morning, he was taken from Donja Dubrava in Međimurje, where his home had been searched since the morning. It is certain that investigators are following him to Zagreb, where the procedure in coordination with USKOK and the police will continue.

Finance Minister first to comment

The case was commented on by the Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić in a Croatian Radio show. He said he was surprised by the news of a police raid on Horvat's home.

"I assume that I am the first to speak on this topic, I have no knowledge and I cannot comment on that", the minister added. He referred to media allegations that Labor Minister Josip Aladrović, Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, and former Minister Tomislav Tolušić were also being investigated.

"I mean, this is pure information from the media. I didn’t even get to read, driving to the show. But, any scandals do not have a positive effect on the Government", said Marić.

Emergency government meeting is underway

In addition to Minister Darko Horvat, the Minister of Pension System, Family and Social Policy Josip Aladrović, Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević, and former Minister Tomislav Tolušić were also targeted by investigators on Saturday morning.

The police started searching the house of the Minister of Construction, Darko Horvat, this morning. Although there is no official information, and no one from the Government has responded yet, 24sata finds out that an emergency meeting has been convened in the Government. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is expected to address the media soon.

This is developing news.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 16 Feb 2022 - The opposition said on Wednesday that Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić "should have been gone long ago" not just due to suspicion of involvement in the Krš-Pađene wind park case but also due to his inaction.

"Ćorić should have been gone long ago. Now is just a matter of the prime minister's will whether he will keep a minister for whom there are serious leads on involvement in a crime worth billions," said Social Democratic Party president Peđa Grbin.

He recalled that parliament discussed a confidence vote in Ćorić 14 months ago and that the wind park was one of the reasons. "The only difference is that as of yesterday we have an email and the deposition of a person directly implicating Ćorić in breaking the law and a case costing Croatian citizens almost HRK 2 billion."

"Today it's even clearer how much damage he is doing to the ministry he heads," Grbin told the press.

Marijan Pavliček of the Sovereignists said Ćorić should say "clearly" if he had given orders to his associates and known what had been going on. He called on the authorities to do their job as well.

He said Ćorić was known only for the wind park case, that he was not responsible for any major investment, but he should be held to account primarily over his inaction.

Stephen Bartulica of the Homeland Movement said Ćorić must explain his former associate's claims that he had done everything in the wind park case on Ćorić's orders. "Politics has too much influence on the real economy. The temptations to abuse office are too big," he said, calling out Ćorić for showing no reform vision.

Bartulica warned about the possible outcome of an opposition request for a no-confidence vote in Ćorić.

"Many should have been gone long ago, the whole government perhaps, but the fact that some opposition groups are trying to exploit the situation by requesting impeachment could result in the saving of vulnerable ministers."

He said the ministers who were implicated in serious scandals and had proven to be incompetent should be sacked.

Sandra Benčić of the Green-Left Bloc said this group had already initiated an interpellation concerning Ćorić's connection with the Krš-Pađene case and said that he was the weakest link in the government.

Asked if it was odd that Ćorić had not been questioned, she said it was and that during the parliamentary debate on the interpellation, the opposition had presented many leads.

"We are waiting for USKOK (anti-corruption office) to do its job because it's inconceivable that such a close associate is a suspect and his superior has not even been interrogated", Benčić said.

Anka Mrak Taritaš of GLAS said Ćorić had been connected to the wind park case for a long time and that "the prime minister is a little jumpy" because quite a few ministers "have skeletons in the closet" and should be replaced.

For more, check out our politics section.

January the 30th, 2022 - Zagreb's Pleso Airport police head is being investigated by USKOK (Croatian State Prosecutor's Office for the Suppression of Organised Crime and Corruption or Bureau for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime).

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, based on the criminal report released by the Zagreb Police, USKOK issued its decision to open an investigation against three Croatian citizens (born in 1982, 1965 and 1969) about whom there is reasonable suspicion of the commitment of the criminal offenses of the abuse of office, the incitement to commit abuse of office and trading in influence (influence peddling), according to a report from Dnevnik.hr.

There is a well-founded suspicion that the first defendant, in the period from April the 1st, 2021 to January the 27th, 2022 in Zagreb and Velika Gorica, as the head of the Pleso Airport Police Station, allegedly agreed for the second defendant to be allowed to pass through Zagreb International Airport's customs with goods without being checked.

Either personally or on his orders, through his subordinate police officers, without conducting any border and/or customs control, he allegedly made it possible for the individual in question to avoid the customs control of his luggage in which he carried clothes and footwear with non-original markings of various brands acquired while in Turkey, with the apparent intention to resell them on the black market here in Croatia. In this way, he also enabled him to avoid the collection of due customs duties/the confiscation of the goods.

The mayor parked free of charge

During the months of August and October 2021, the third accused person, the mayor of Ivanic Grad, allegedly abused his position in Velika Gorica and Ivanic Grad. He allegedly asked the head of the Pleso Airport Police Station to allow him to park the personal vehicle he was using without paying any fees, as well as to keep that vehicle at Pleso Airport Police Station's car park during his trip.

The mayor was aware that this car park was intended only for the official needs of the Pleso Airport Police Station. He succeeded in leaving his car there because his engagement was allegedly secured by subordinate police officers from the Chief of the Pleso Airport Police Station.

USKOK has proposed to the investigating judge of the Zagreb County Court to order the pre-trial detention of one of the defendants.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.