ZAGREB, June 9, 2020 – Emina Visnic, the director of the Rijeka 2020 company tasked with the implementation of the project of Rijeka the European Capital of Culture in 2020, was relieved from the duty at her own request and the city authorities reported on Tuesday that Irena Kregar Segota would be the new director.
A press release reads that Visnic explained her request for being relieved from the duty with the assessment that after the completion of the “demanding process of redefining the programme and the outlays” in the new circumstances in which the project has found itself, it will be necessary for her to be more intensively engaged in the tasks “of operational management of programmes”. Visnic continues to be an employee in the company and is now charged with managing the programmes in the pipeline, according to the press release.
Visnic’s resignation came against the backdrop of news about irregularities which the State Audit Office established in connection with this the Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020 project.
State Audit Office determines irregularities in connection with Rijeka 2020 project
The City of Rijeka culture committee convened in late May to discuss findings of the State Audit Office for this northern Croatian city in 2018, which point out a series of irregularities pertaining to the implementation of the project.
For instance, 13.7 million kuna was designated to this Rijeka 2020 project without necessary documentation which should have been provided for this allocation.
The local authorities also failed to inform the ministries of culture and tourism of how they spent the funds in the amount of 32.8 million during 2017 and 2018.
Also some of the unused funds remain and the city authorities were supposed to control their spending in the period to come.
Furthermore, the local authorities were supposed to establish a non-profit-making organisation for the implementation of the project, however instead of that, they founded a company which employed seven people more than planned.
In late May, the police pressed charges against six members of the Rijeka 2020 company’s expert task force for having favoured a bidder during public procurement procedures for the Rijeka – European Capital of Culture 2020 project.
