ZAGREB, June 1, 2020 – Public Administration Minister Mario Banozic said on Monday it was customary for investors to try to create a more favourable position in “cases” in which the state was the owner in order to shorten the procedure, but that “you don’t do it” if it was estimated to be bad for the state.
“That’s a customary procedure when it comes to investors. Everyone tries to pay as little as possible, shorten procedures as much as possible,” he told N1 television when asked if it was correct that Josipa Rimac, a member of the ruling HDZ arrested on suspicion of corruption in a wind park case, had tried to influence him too in order to privilege entrepreneurs.
“That’s something I and the ministry staff are exposed to on a daily basis. The question is, will you do something or not. If it’s necessary to help, to shorten or expedite a procedure so that an investment is made as soon as possible, I’m the first one for it. But if you estimate that it’s about something that is not good, that is bad for Croatian society, then you don’t do it,” said Banozic.
He said that his ministry, in doing any job for the state, must make an estimate. “My and the staff’s estimate working on that case was that it wasn’t good for Croatia, for its budget,” he said, adding that he could not say much because the wind park case was being investigated.
Asked how Rimac, the state secretary at his ministry who was fired on Friday and is in custody, had been doing that, whether she had cited other officials as a reference, Banozic reiterated that it was customary procedure when it came to investors in which everyone tried to pay as little and shorten the procedure as much as possible.
“I don’t find it unusual, because people call me every day,” he said when asked if he had been surprised by a call from Rimac.
He said the USKOK anti-corruption office did not contact him and that he would respond if called.
