ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - Rijeka County Court investigating judge Sajonara Culina on Monday questioned witnesses Jacinta Brusic and Milojko Tankosic in an investigation against Eduard Nodilo and Snjezana Podobnik, former employees of
Rijecka Banka who are suspected of misusing their authority and falsifying official documents, thus causing damage to the bank of almost $100 million.
ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - Rijeka County Court investigating judge
Sajonara Culina on Monday questioned witnesses Jacinta Brusic and
Milojko Tankosic in an investigation against Eduard Nodilo and
Snjezana Podobnik, former employees of Rijecka Banka who are
suspected of misusing their authority and falsifying official
documents, thus causing damage to the bank of almost $100 million.
#L#
Witness Jacinta Brusic told journalists after her testimony that
she answered questions relating to the organisation, authority,
control and business operations in the Resources Sector of Rijecka
Banka, where she worked as director until April 2, when she was
fired for gravely violating working obligations.
She said that she first learned of complaints by some banks on March
1 from a former member of the bank's Board, Borislav Perozic.
Perozic called her into his office that day and asked her to file a
report on the reasons for the complaints. On Sunday, March 3,
Nodilo, Podobnik and Tankosic were expected to come to work in order
to prepare the report by the following day. As they were occupied
with other duties or arrived late, Brusic apparently reported to
Perozic that she would not be able to complete the report by the
following morning and it was agreed that this be done on Monday,
March 4, by Internal Audit. Brusic stressed that she did not know
about the complaints by foreign banks (apart from three that were
not related to deposits) until the investigation against Eduard
Nodilo was launched, when these were disclosed.
Milojko Tankosic, who was also fired, was the director of Foreign
Currency Resources and Nodilo's superior. He told journalists that
he was not aware of any irregularities that Nodilo allegedly
committed until the entire affair was uncovered.
Drazen Kurpis, head of the Foreign Business Sector, who was also to
testify today, told journalists that he had personally been
informed of one complaint about a late reimbursement of a large
deposit. This was in late 2001 and the complaint came from an
Italian bank, Kurpis said. He forwarded the complaint to Tankosic.
A former president of the Rijecka Banka Board, Ivan Stokic,
testified on April 12 and said that he heard about Nodilo's dealings
on February 27, after a London bank informed Rijecka Banka about
several large foreign currency transactions. After that, Stokic
said, an internal audit was conducted and on March 6 Nodilo admitted
his actions to Perozic.
Even though reports about suspicious dealings had been received on
April 2, 1999 and January 28, 2002, the internal audit, Stokic
claims, did not disclose anything irregular.
Both Nodilo and Podobnik are in custody. The investigative
proceedings are to continue on Tuesday with Drazen Kurpis' and
other bank employees' testimonies.
(hina) sp rml