ZAGREB, October 25, 2018 – Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković said on Thursday it was not known exactly when the UK would extradite Agrokor founder Ivica Todorić to Croatia but that the Croatian Government would make it happen in the shortest time possible.
Our Interior Ministry has to agree with their colleagues in Britain on the how, the where, the when. Whether this will be in three, ten or 15 days is irrelevant, Bošnjaković told reporters in Hvar.
He denied Todorić’s claims that there was a political process against him in Croatia. He said Todorić would have a legal, fair and objective trial. “All our people in Croatia are entitled to such a trial and that’s how our courts conduct trials.”
The minister said there were no political trials in Croatia and that the right to appeal to a higher court was guaranteed. “Perhaps mistakes are made in the application of the law, but that’s why there is legal recourse, which functions in Croatia.”
He said that after being handed over to Croatia, Todorić would be placed in custody. He recalled that the extradition was requested because he had not cooperated with Croatian authorities.
Asked whether Croatian police would go to collect him in the UK or if British police would escort him to Croatia, Bošnjaković said the two countries’ police forces would arrange those details so that everything was done economically and pragmatically.
The Interior Ministry said that after two countries’ authorities made arrangements and a decision was made on when a person should be handed over, the handover was in their remit. The person is transferred from one country to another under police escort. In order for the handover to be executed successfully, the police procedure is secret, the ministry added.
London’s High Court today rejected Todorić’s motion to appeal against a lower court ruling on his extradition to Croatia, where he is wanted for fraud and embezzling money from the Agrokor conglomerate.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković would not comment on Thursday on the London court’s decision. “I haven’t commented on that for months, so today I won’t either,” Plenković told reporters in Hvar.
A reporter noted that Todorić’s request to appeal the extradition had been rejected and that he would now be handed over to Croatia, Plenković said, “Correct”.
For the latest in Croatian politics, check out the dedicated TCN politics section.
