ZAGREB, August 21, 2019 – The Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) confirmed media reports that it together with the relevant police services (PNUSKOK) is conducting an investigation into the case of former Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević who resigned on 8 July over reported involvement in murky real estate deals.
USKOK will decide on further steps in this case after the collection of all necessary evidence and the public will be informed in a timely fashion, the Office said on Tuesday afternoon after web portals reported that Kuščević’s house on the island of Brač had been searched by the police on Tuesday morning.
Some of the web portals claim that Kuščević is suspected of wrongdoing in real estate transactions and of abuse of office and that some more suspects were involved in the affairs.
On 8 July, Kuščević resigned from the ministerial post and the post of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) political secretary. Upon his resignation, Kuščević said that he was “a responsible politician”.
“I’ve been in politics a long time,” Kuščević said, adding that “it’s clear to me that this negative perception in the media, the basis of all the unfounded attacks on me, represents a big burden on both the party and the government.”
Kuščević is currently a member of the national parliament and a councillor in the Split-Dalmatia County Assembly.
Prime Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday evening that an USKOK investigation and search of the property of former Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević was being conducted following a warrant issued by the court and that he had no other comments.
“Those are just procedural steps, we’ll see what it will turn out to be,” Plenković told reporters in Opatija.
Plenković said that he would propose Ante Sanader for the new party political secretary.
The new Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica was sworn in in mid-July.
More news about corruption in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.
