Ivica Modrić, an HDZ member and member of the board of directors of the state-owned company Croatian Transmission System Operator d.o.o. (HOPS), brutally beat a young man in Zagreb a week ago, reports Index.hr on April 5, 2019.
The attack came after the young man tried to cross the pedestrian crossing. Modrić, who was driving the car, did not allow him to, but he ran past him. The man then hit the trunk of Modrić’s car with his hand. Modrić stopped the car, came out, threatened the young man and hit him with a fist to his head. The man has suffered four facial fractures and is still at the Dubrava hospital in Zagreb.
“It happened around 4.30 pm on Thursday. I went to the kindergarten in Vrbik to pick up my child. I started walking across the pedestrian crossing and made two steps. The car was ten metres away. I slowed down because I was crossing the pedestrian crossing, but he accelerated. I was already on the crossing, and he saw me. I stopped, and he passed 30 cm in front of me. It was so close that I had instinctively raised my arms. When he passed, I slapped my fingers on the trunk. There was no damage. I walked across the crossing, and he stopped the car and got out.
How dare you touch the car, he asked me. I told him he could have run me over and asked him what was wrong with him. I have had enough of you young people, he replied. I asked him what was going on. He answered me that I did not know what I had gotten myself into. He started towards me. I tried to catch his fist but was not able to. He hit me in my face. I fell to my back. Fortunately, I had a backpack, so I did not hit my head. When I got up, he turned and walked toward the car. I shouted, asking him whether he knew what he was doing. I got my cell phone out and told him I would call the police. You will call the cops on me, he replied. I will call a SWAT team on you. You do not know what you have gotten yourself into.
I photographed him and his car. He left, I called 112, and the police came in. Blood was bleeding from my nose. A man from the cafe gave me a tissue. The police questioned the worker at the parking lot. He saw everything. The waiter and a guest from the bar also saw when he hit me. The ambulance came. At the hospital, they determined I had four bone fractures. My eye was moved in its socket, and I needed surgery.
My wife went to the kindergarten to pick up our child. My two-year-old daughter saw me all bloody. In the evening, she saw her daddy crying. They moved me to the Dubrava hospital. A few days ago, I had surgery, and they inserted a titanium plate in the cheekbone. I still cannot open my eyes. I also do not feel anything from the eye to the middle of my face. It should get better in a couple of weeks or a few months. Doctors hope I will get out of the hospital soon.”
HOPS is a company that, together with HEP, manages Croatia’s power system, the transmission of electricity and the maintenance, development and construction of the transmission network. “We as a company absolutely condemn any violent behaviour of any of our employees, especially members of the management board. For the sanctions to be taken, we need a police report. We have received official confirmation that it will be delivered to us as soon as the investigation is completed,” said HOPS for Index.hr. There is unofficial information that the HOPS Supervisory Board has decided to dismiss Modrić. The procedure is reportedly underway.
The police issued a statement about the incident. “Regarding your inquiry, we can inform you that police officers are conducting the criminal investigation into the events which took place on March 28 in Vrbik. Given that the 32-year-old was seriously injured in the aforementioned event and has been hospitalised, we are going to conduct an investigation to determine the circumstances of the event. The appropriate documents will be submitted to the relevant state attorney office.”
Index.hr also wanted to know what HDZ thought about the incident and whether they intend to sanction their member. “HDZ regrets that the incident took place,” the party said. They added that HDZ has zero tolerance for violence. Modrić, who is a member of the party branch in Osijek, has been suspended from all party duties until the end of the proceedings. As for the threats with the SWAT police, HDZ said such conduct is unacceptable.
Translated from Index.hr (reported by Denis Mahmutović).
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