ZAGREB, August 28, 2018 – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday resolutely dismissed media speculations that he and his cabinet intentionally misinformed the Croatian legislature and the Conflict of Interest Commission over meetings held in Government House on the topics in connection with the crisis in the private debt-laden Agrokor Group.
“The whole topic when the crisis broke out required plenty of meetings and consultations. As far as I am concerned, it is utterly irrelevant if a document cites one or two or three meetings. What is relevant is that meetings were held primarily for the purpose of gaining a thorough insight into the dimensions of the problem and for the purpose of seeking advice, let me say, from experts how to solve it,” Plenković said in Berlin on Monday evening where he arrived for a visit to Germany.
I am deeply convinced that when it comes to Finance Minister Zdravko Marić, that there is no case of a conflict of interest and I do not find anything disputable. The Conflict of Interest Commission has already given its opinion. It is their business if they will reconsider the case. However, I cannot see anything new or interesting, Plenković said in his comment on the intention of the said commission to reopen the Marić case after the N1 commercial broadcaster published some of the depositions given by former Economy Minister Martina Dalić and some other people questioned by prosecutorial authorities.
After the depositions were made to USKOK investigators in February 2018, the state prosecutor’s office DORH in June dismissed formal charges filed against Dalić by two opposition parties on the suspicion of conflict of interest.
Asked today by reporters who invited lawyer Danijel Klobučar, perceived to be his close friend, the PM said that he had invited him to one meeting.
I invited him. We have a group of people with the specific expertise which other people inside the public administration lacked. They wanted somebody to help them. That lawyer had no more contacts with that topic, the prime minister said.
The Conflict of Interest Commission on Monday reopened a case against Finance Minister Zdravko Marić regarding the Agrokor case and merged it with a newly-lodged complaint filed against him by the Živi Zid party. It also opened a case concerning Interior Minister Davor Božinović.
In the case regarding Marić, a decision was made to reopen the case against him. A decision was also made to examine a new complaint lodged against Marić that was received on August 24 and to combine the two cases.
The commission had decided in April that Marić, who was once an employee in the ailing conglomerate, hadn’t breached the principle of conducting public office while Lex Agrokor was being prepared. In his statement to the commission then, Marić testified that he had attended only two meetings concerning Agrokor. However, Dalić’s deposition to USKOK, which was recently released by the N1 commercial television station, notes that he attended more gatherings.
The commission opened a case against Minister Božinović due to the possible incompatibility of information submitted to the commission in the case against Marić and information on the same facts released by the media.
With reference to the complaint submitted by the Živi Zid party against Prime Minister Plenković on Friday, the commission said it is identical to a previously received complaint against him. As such, the new complaint against Plenković has been merged with the already open case.
Following Živi Zid’s complaint on Friday, the commission said a new case had now also been opened against Božo Petrov, who is at the helm of the MOST party which was a part of the ruling coalition when the Agrokor crisis started.
