In recent days, there have been several alleged scandals about the Foreign Ministry during the term of Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić.
Vesna Pusić reacted on Thursday evening to accusations against her due to the findings of the State Audit Office about irregularities in business operations at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs during her term as minister, reports Večernji List on August 12, 2016.
One of the scandals involved an administrative secretary who was paid 300,000 kuna through special contracts, although she was employed at the time at the Ministry and received a regular salary.
“As is clear from the content of the contract, it actually covered activities which were not included in the job description of an administrative secretary. The activities were performed outside of regular working hours. Such a contract was drafted by the Ministry’s legal department, and not by me. Also, I had just three secretaries covering all that was needed to be done, and the current minister has six secretaries doing the same work”, commented Pusić on Facebook.
She also discussed the scandal with an office building which Croatia bought several years ago in Brussels, put which has still not been put to use. “The building in Brussels was bought for our permanent representation to the European Union. It was bought at a lower price than the one for which this same building was being sold several years earlier, and it was purchased after the government made such decision. The moving process is proceeding slowly, mainly due to complicated administrative requirements of the authorities in Brussels. Having a building is essential for a country which is a member of the European Union”, explained Pusić.
“It is obvious that our competition is very afraid of HNS, since it is now openly publishing lies and making pressure on the media and state institutions in order to invent something, when there are no real complaints. Those who have caused embarrassment to the country with their government are now trying to harm those who can save this country from irresponsibility and ignorance”, she concluded.
Miro Bulj, a MP for MOST, on Thursday filed a criminal complaint against Pusić to the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, saying that she did not manage state finances as she should have done.
With the elections being less than one month away, it can be expected that a lot more similar real and alleged scandals will be “discovered” in the days ahead.
