Major USKOK Operation: Multiple Arrests and Searches Over Legalization of Construction Objects

(Patria) - A police operation is underway in Istria, during which about ten people have been arrested on suspicion of committing criminal offenses against official duty.

At this moment, it can be confirmed that the mentioned criminal offenses are related to the legalization of construction objects, USKOK announced.

The police stated that more than 40 police officers are participating in the realization of this complex criminal investigation, and searches are being conducted at multiple locations.

Currently, several individuals are under police supervision, and searches of business and private premises are underway.

Croatian portals report that this is a continuation of the investigation from June last year, i.e., the major operation "Dorina", when more than 20 people were arrested in the Istria region, including employees of the City of Vodnjan who were handling legalization procedures, entrepreneurs, builders, surveyors, architects, and property owners.

Among those arrested at the time were the former Vodnjan Head of Spatial Planning Damir Janko and the former Head of the City of Vodnjan's Department for Spatial Planning Dora Komparić.

According to the Istra24 portal, this time the investigators are targeting Fažana Mayor Radomir Korać (SDP), Sead Ibrahimović, former head of the Istria County Department for Spatial Development, and Krešimir Stojkovski, a surveyor.

In June last year, based on a criminal report from the Istria Police Department, USKOK issued a decision to conduct an investigation against 26 individuals due to founded suspicion of committing criminal offenses of abuse of position and authority, incitement and aiding in abuse of position and authority, forgery of official or business documents, and forgery of documents.

Property owners alone profited more than 640,000 euros from land manipulations.

Furthermore, in January of this year, a 53-year-old official from a regional self-government unit responsible for the legalization of illegally built objects was arrested on suspicion of illegally issuing a decision to a 49-year-old woman, through which her building was illegally legalized.

Last year, the State Audit Office also determined that Mayor Korać, i.e., the Municipality of Fažana, misspent 7 million kuna in 2021, and the State Attorney's Office was also informed about this.