The case was reported during a vote on two bills from a set of so-called European laws, the purpose of which is to adjust national legislation to that of the European Union.
According to the electronic vote, it was established that there were 86 MPs in the parliament hall, nine more than necessary for the quorum.
Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) was the first to state last night that somebody had voted instead of Cehok, who today confirmed that he had not been present in the parliament during the vote. Pupovac complained to Sabor Speaker Vladimir Seks, who rejected the complaint and approved the results of the vote.
It is not certain who voted instead of Cehok, because both MPs who are suspected of doing it - independent MP Ivo Loncar and Rade Ivas of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) - have dismissed any possibility of having used Cehok's key for electronic voting, with Loncar claiming that it was Ivas who voted instead of Cehok.
Ivas has told the press in a phone interview that he did not vote instead of Cehok and that he did not see if Loncar or any other MP had done it.
Pupovac told reporters today that he and his party colleague Vojislav Stanimirovic had seen Loncar's right arm reach out for Cehok's key.
Asked why Loncar would do such a thing, Pupovac said that Loncar wanted the parliament to adopt amendments to the Law on Political Parties under which independent deputies, including Loncar, would be granted budgetary funds intended for political parties.
However, since by the time the vote was taken there was no quorum, the parliament failed to vote on the amendments, as well as on proposals that Croatia walk out of the Druzba Adria project and that a commission be established to investigate the leaking of transcripts from the President's Office.
Commenting on accusations that he used another deputy's key to secure a quorum for the vote on amendments to the Law on Political Parties and ensure for himself another monthly payment of 20,000 kuna, Loncar said "this has nothing to do with the truth".