Former Agriculture Minister says that everything was done in accordance with rules.
Member of Parliament Miro Bulj (MOST) on Thursday accused former Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina (SDP) for the abuse of position and authority, due to information that the European Commission has stopped the payment of agricultural subsidies in the amount of 2.2 billion kuna to Croatia, reports Večernji List on May 19, 2016.
The alarming news is that the European Commission has stopped the payment of agricultural subsidies, which are crucial for the survival of local agriculture and rural areas, which have been placed at risk due to the former minister and his associates, said Bulj in Parliament. He cited the findings of an audit which was completed by Kristina Borhman from the Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, which stated that the European inspection found a number of irregularities in the Croatian projects which had received support during Jakovina’s term as minister.
Bush argued that competition conditions drafted during Jakovina’s term were custom-made for selected entrepreneurs. The findings of the audit warn not only about failures and shortcomings in the supervision system, but also pose a question of political, professional and criminal liability for non-compliance with the rules governing provision of aid to rural areas, said the MOST’s MP.
Therefore, the payment of generous support for Croatian projects has been stopped and it is probable that Croatia will have to pay fines for irregularities in the implementation of IPARD programme, said Bulj. He also accused Jakovina of “sending to the world” more than 50,000 people from Slavonia, explaining that they were exactly the people for whom Europe had earmarked the funds, in order for them to remain living in the rural areas.
Jakovina said that the whole affair was a “classic” example of distraction from the problems and scandals shaking Croatia, problems in the government, the INA affair and attempts to sell state-owned companies. “If there is something that we in the Ministry were proud of, than it was the utilization of the EU funds”, said the former Minister.
He rejected all the charges made by his political opponents. He added that at the HDZ headquarters there was “a group of trolls” who were very active on social networks and who had very aggressive rightwing views and comments about everything. It seems that some of them manage to escape, but the most aggressive, the loudest and the most brazen ones end up in the government, said Jakovina.
