ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - The Croatian association "Juris Protecta" suspects that domestic courts are biased in proceedings which were initiated by Croatian emigrants against a foundation of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The
emigrants have accused the foundation of having illegally taken possession of some of the funds they deposited into an Austrian bank account for Croatia's defence.
ZAGREB, April 30 (Hina) - The Croatian association "Juris Protecta"
suspects that domestic courts are biased in proceedings which were
initiated by Croatian emigrants against a foundation of the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The emigrants have accused the
foundation of having illegally taken possession of some of the
funds they deposited into an Austrian bank account for Croatia's
defence. #L#
The association's president Zlatko Zeljko said at a press
conference the judge at the Zagreb Municipal Court in charge of the
case did not want to hear the single living signatory to the
disputable accounts - Hrvoje Sarinic, a former senior state
official.
Zeljko also claims the judge tried to persuade emigrant Radovan
Smokvina, who launched the proceedings, to withdraw the
complaint.
"Most judges were appointed at the time of the former regime and
they do not want to get involved in a dispute which proves that the
state and criminal circles were in collusion," Zeljko said.
Zeljko claims that more than 100 million German marks and some 10
million US dollars had "passed" through a bank account in Austria's
Villach during the war in Croatia.
At the time the HDZ's foundation took over the funds, there was
around 1.5 million euros in the accounts.
The money, he added, was not used for defence purposes, and donors
never received reports on how it was used. Showing reporters a copy-
out of some of the transactions on the accounts, which he claims was
issued by an Austrian court, Zeljko said the donors were
particularly dissatisfied with the fact that their money had been
used to finance "the luxury of the state leadership" at the time of
the gravest war suffering.
According to the copy, more than four million US dollars was used
for the purchase of a challenger plane in 1991, which was later used
by President Franjo Tudjman.
An investigation into the case has also been launched in Austria and
Zeljko claims an indictment could be expected.
The State Prosecution has requested the foundation to return the
money and the Zagreb County Court last year temporarily froze
around 1.5 million euros in the foundation's account in Privredna
Bank Zagreb.
Although it was later agreed the foundation would return the money,
this has not happened yet.
(hina) rml sb