ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Acting on the basis of criminal charges pressed by the Croatian Defence Ministry, the Zagreb County State Prosecutor's Office on Friday requested an investigation against five persons suspected of abusing their
office and white-collar crime. The State Prosecutor's Office gave only the suspects' initials: V.Z., M.K., J.V., A.S. and L.K. The Ministry's charges against two other persons (Lj.C. and Z.K.) for signing harmful contracts have been rejected, the County State Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Although the statement reveals only the suspects' initials and there has been no official confirmation as to their identity, it is speculated that the initials V.Z. stand for retired general Vladimir Zagorec, a former assistant defence minister for supply and director of the state-owned company 'Alan'. The initials M.K. probably stand for retir
ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Acting on the basis of criminal charges
pressed by the Croatian Defence Ministry, the Zagreb County State
Prosecutor's Office on Friday requested an investigation against
five persons suspected of abusing their office and white-collar
crime.
The State Prosecutor's Office gave only the suspects' initials:
V.Z., M.K., J.V., A.S. and L.K.
The Ministry's charges against two other persons (Lj.C. and Z.K.)
for signing harmful contracts have been rejected, the County State
Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
Although the statement reveals only the suspects' initials and
there has been no official confirmation as to their identity, it is
speculated that the initials V.Z. stand for retired general
Vladimir Zagorec, a former assistant defence minister for supply
and director of the state-owned company 'Alan'. The initials M.K.
probably stand for retired general Matko Kakarigi, a former head of
the Defence Ministry's department for construction (and
apartments). Lj.C. (against whom charges have been dropped)
reportedly stands for retired general Ljubo Cesic Rojs, a former
assistant defence minister for economies and current deputy of the
Bosnian Croat Diaspora in the Croatian House of Representatives.
Defence Minister Jozo Rados confirmed during a recent visit to
Osijek that the ministry had pressed charges against the above-
mentioned persons and several other Croatian army officers.
Branko Seric, attorney for Vladimir Zagorec, told Hina the
investigation request referred to his client and to Kakarigi.
Seric said that according to his information, the initials A.S.
stood for Antun Sporer, the president of the Zagreb Chamber of
Crafts, replaced on Thursday, and former vice-president of the
Zagreb City Assembly and president of its committee on municipal
business premises.
Seric said he had no knowledge as to the identity of other suspects
and was not familiar with the contents of the investigation
request, that is, concrete charges.
According to media reports, the initials J.V. reportedly stand
for retired brigadier Juraj Vojkovic and L.K. for Leo Kurent,
assistant director of the Split-based company 'ACI'.
Criminal charges against the high Croatian army officers were filed
on May 31 this year, after which the Zagreb County State
Prosecutor's Office requested that the charges be amended. In late
September, the Military Police crime department amended the
charges and today made the decision to prosecute the five
suspects.
The law envisages prison sentences of one to ten years for the
criminal acts for which the State Prosecutor's Office has requested
the probe against the five suspects.
(hina) jn rml