ZAGREB, April 14, 2019 – The Police Directorate said on Saturday that, as part of an investigation into the fake text messages case, other offences against computer systems, programmes and data were uncovered but that, due to confidentiality, it could not say more, so there is no confirmation of media reports that Milijan Brkić, vice president of the ruling HDZ party and parliament deputy speaker, was questioned as a suspect in those offences.
The media reported on Saturday that Brkić was questioned two days before for intercepting his wife’s emails by using the services of Franjo Varga, a former Interior Ministry IT expert accused in the fake texts case.
The media said Brkić’s brother Jozo was also accused in the interception case and that the police allegedly found out about it by examining the computers and documents seized in the case against Varga and Blaž Curić, former chauffeur of Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić and a close friend of Brkić. The USKOK anti-corruption office suspects Varga and Curić in the fake texts case of obstructing the collection of evidence and of aiding and abetting in the commission of said crime.
Commenting on the allegations late on Saturday, Brkić said in an SMS to Hina that it was a disgrace “what individuals have turned state institutions into,” neither confirming nor denying that he is a suspect.
In February, after an indictment was filed in the fake texts case, Brkić said he was neither included nor mentioned in the indictment against Varga and Curić which the Osijek County Court upheld on March 18. After spending the maximum six months in investigative custody, Varga and Curić were released.
Prosecutors contend that Varga created fake text messages, including for former football mogul Zdravko Mamić, and that last September Curić warned Varga that he was under investigation.
After the affair came to light, the media claimed that Varga’s services were also used by former HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko and Brkić, both of whom denied the accusations.
In late November, the media published details from Varga’s deposition in which he talked about his relationship with Mamić and cooperation with Karamarko, Brkić, former presidential advisor Vlado Galić, and former Agrokor owner Ivica Todorić.
Brkić, Karamarko and Todorić were questioned as part of the investigation. Todorić was questioned due to suspicions that Varga was linked to SMS correspondence among an informal group that drew up a law on emergency management in strategically important companies dubbed Lex Agrokor.
More news about HDZ can be found in the Politics section.
