SPLIT NORTH PORT DIRECTOR SPLIT, Feb 8 (Hina) - The crime police from the southern city of Split have pressed charges against the director of the Split North Port, Miro Stolic, the port's management board chairman Igor Matajic, the
owner of the "Biro Urlic" company Niksa Urlic, and a former Implementation Force (IFOR) officer and co-owner of the off shore company "Milford", Ken Ford, for causing the port more than 27 million kuna worth of damage. Stolic is suspected of having signed, between 1995 and 2001, several contracts with Stabilisation and Implementation Forces (SFOR, IFOR) on the lease of the port's storage areas at prices that were 75% lower than the port's actual tariffs or free of charge. In doing this, Stolic breached contracts signed between the Croatian government and NATO, under which the port rents its facilities to SFOR and IFOR at prices of up to 50% lower than its usual tariffs. An investigation in the case showed the own
SPLIT, Feb 8 (Hina) - The crime police from the southern city of
Split have pressed charges against the director of the Split North
Port, Miro Stolic, the port's management board chairman Igor
Matajic, the owner of the "Biro Urlic" company Niksa Urlic, and a
former Implementation Force (IFOR) officer and co-owner of the off
shore company "Milford", Ken Ford, for causing the port more than 27
million kuna worth of damage.
Stolic is suspected of having signed, between 1995 and 2001,
several contracts with Stabilisation and Implementation Forces
(SFOR, IFOR) on the lease of the port's storage areas at prices that
were 75% lower than the port's actual tariffs or free of charge. In
doing this, Stolic breached contracts signed between the Croatian
government and NATO, under which the port rents its facilities to
SFOR and IFOR at prices of up to 50% lower than its usual tariffs.
An investigation in the case showed the owner of "Biro Urlic", Niksa
Urlic, together with the former IFOR officer and owner of the
"Milford" off shore company, Ken Ford, offered mediation services
for an indemnity request against IFOR, which he negotiated with
Stolic charging commission of as much as 50%. Charges have been
pressed against Urlic and Ford as well.
Using the services of the "Milford" off shore company from Malta and
"Finco" from Wyoming, "Biro Urlic" submitted an indemnity request
with the British army, which paid the port USD6,444,488 of
indemnity between February and July 2001.
Stolic and the port's management board chairman Igor Matajic failed
to inform authorised bodies of state administration and the
Croatian Privatisation Fund, which is the port's majority owner, of
the transaction, declaring it an official secret. Threatening
members of the management board with dismissal, Stolic and Matajic
paid half the amount as commission to Biro Urlic, which paid
"Milford" and "Finco" commission fees worth USD2,044,754 and
USD368,910 respectively. The company kept the rest of the money,
having paid VAT and profit tax.
With the said transaction the four suspects caused the Split port at
least USD3,251,000 worth of damage.
The suspects were taken before an investigating judge who
questioned them and ruled that they could defend themselves in
freedom.
(hina) rml
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