Croatia imprisoned a prime minister, ministers, a county prefect and a mayor

Thanks to various tycoons, but also politicians whom the citizens of this country trusted at the elections, Croatia today is a plundered and devastated country with about 330,000 unemployed, a ruined industry, but with thickened private accounts of many actors on the Croatian political and economic scene, reports the Patrija news agency.

In light of the latest decision of the Constitutional Court regarding Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, Index.hr investigated where former Croatian officials ended up today, who used their time in office for personal gain by stealing hundreds of millions from this already impoverished country.

High bail amounts 

Namely, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, who had been in Remetinec since March 10 this year, was released after the Constitutional Court overturned the County Court's decision on pre-trial detention. The Constitutional Court upheld Milan Bandić's appeal and overturned three decisions.

In the last ten years or so, a former prime minister, ministers, mayors and one county prefect have ended up in prison due to corruption. In some cases, indictments are still pending, in others court verdicts, and some got off lightly.

The most famous prisoner of Remetinec is certainly the once most powerful man in the country, former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who remains there until further notice.

Former right-hand man of Ivo Sanader, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Damir Polančec served a ten-month prison sentence for the unnecessary study case.

Apart from that case, he was finally convicted in the "Reflectors" case, where, after a plea agreement with USKOK, he received a suspended one-year sentence with a probation period of four years. Proceedings are still ongoing against Polančec for the "Spice" affair, where, together with former Podravka executives and their business partners, he is accused of causing damage to that company of more than 400 million kuna.

Another minister literally served his time. Petar Čobanković, former Minister of Regional Development, Forestry and Water Management, admitted that his work damaged the state budget and citizens for tens of millions of kuna, and the money was not required to be returned.

Former Minister of Tourism Ivan Herak stayed in Pula prison from January 27, 2000 to May 31, 2001. He was charged with several criminal offenses of abuse of position and authority to the detriment of the Ministry of Tourism, and due to four major trials, he spent 16 months in custody.

Former police minister also slipped through 

Former Minister of Police, and current Mayor of Virovitica Ivica Kirin, could also end up in prison, awaiting a non-final verdict. He is accused of causing damage to the Ministry of the Interior of about 7.5 million kuna in cooperation with Fimi media. Kirin said he does not feel guilty.

The trial chamber of the Zagreb County Court, however, non-finally acquitted Dragan Primorac, former Minister of Science, Education and Sports, of charges that from 2008 to 2009 he illegally used a Touareg SUV, which was procured at his instigation by the then director of the Croatian Standards Institute, Tihomir Funda, thereby damaging the budget of the Republic of Croatia by about 450,000 kuna.

Another former HDZ Minister of Defence, Berislav Rončević, and his assistant Ivo Bačić, found themselves in the crosshairs of the police in 2009 due to the Trucks case. In the first trial, Rončević was sentenced to four years and Bačić to two years, but the Supreme Court returned the case for retrial. In the end, Rončević was acquitted in January this year of charges that he abused his position and authority and thereby damaged the Ministry of Defence by about 10 million kuna. 

Former Vukovar Mayor Željko Sabo is awaiting an eight-month prison sentence. Namely, the Supreme Court confirmed the verdict of the County Court in Osijek, according to which he was sentenced to eight months in prison and eight months suspended for attempting to bribe HDZ councilors in the Vukovar Council, Marija Budimir and Radivoje Đurić, in order to secure a majority for his political option. Sabo previously resigned from all party positions, and was the president of the county organization and vice-president of the Vukovar SDP. 

Former Varaždin Mayor Ivan Čehok, due to USKOK's accusation that he favored entrepreneur Davor Patafta, thereby allegedly damaging Varaždin by about fifty million kuna, was released from pre-trial detention in Remetinec in July 2014. He spent more than a month and a half there and then resigned as mayor, and was released on bail of 2.6 million kuna. 

Ivan Čehok, Davor Patafta and three other defendants accused of damaging the City of Varaždin by more than 49 million kuna pleaded not guilty at the Zagreb County Court. The reading of the extensive indictment, in which they are charged with conspiracy to commit criminal offenses, waste management malversations, land swaps, and land purchases for the construction of POS apartments, lasted an hour.

Merzel still a member of parliament 

And as a final touch, let us mention the case of former Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Marina Lovrić Merzel. She is the only county prefect, and also the only Croatian official who spent five months in Remetinec, and now awaits the start of the trial while simultaneously serving as a member of parliament.

Marina Lovrić Merzel was released in September last year after more than five months in pre-trial detention in Remetinec to defend herself against charges of million-kuna malversations from freedom.