In an operation that USKOK and the police launched on Saturday, investigators suspect Damir Škugor, an executive in the INA energy company, Josip Šurjak, president of the Croatian Bar Association, Šurjak’s business partner Goran Husić, with whom Šurjak co-owns the OMS Upravljanje company, Škugor’s father Dane, and Marija Ratkić, Management Board president at the Plinara Istočne Slavonije gas distribution company.
It is suspected that INA has been defrauded of over HRK 1 billion, that the illegal gains of Škugor and his father amount to nearly HRK 500 million, that Husić made a profit of over HRK 90 million and Šurjak of HRK 68.9 million.
There is over HRK 200 million in illegal profit still in the account of Šurjak’s OMS Ulaganje company.
Investigators believe that from June 2020 to 27 August this year, Škugor, head of INA’s Gas and Power division and deputy chair of the Plinara Istočne Slavonije Supervisory Board, conspired with the other suspects to sell INA’s gas at below-market prices.
As the mastermind of the scam, Škugor instructed the second accused to obtain, on behalf of the accused company, a permit from the HERA regulatory agency for the provision of gas trading services, which the second accused did, USKOK said.
Investigators suspect the accused and the accused company obtained at least HRK 848 million in illegal gains.
They said the suspects bought gas from INA for €19.5 and sold it for €28. During questioning, Škugor said he was not guilty and that the gas was sold in line with INA’s business policy.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)
