ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Miroslav Kutle and another 12 persons indicted for the abuse of the authority in the case of "Tisak", on Monday before the council of the Zagreb Municipal Court pleaded not guilty to all counts to the
indictment. The indictment read the indictees caused damage to Croatia's largest press distributor "Tisak" amounting to about 47 million kuna (DM11.75 million). After the reading of the indictment which lasted close to two hours, the first indictee, Miroslav Kutle, was invited to plead guilty or not. Kutle said that the indictment was not based on the Croatia Penal Code. Kutle is charged with having incited former members of Tisak's management and his business partners to abuse their office in business operations and forge documents. The prosecution maintains that although he was not the majority owner of Tisak, Kutle had instructed the former management and business partners to give loans to other companies, which, in turn,
ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - Miroslav Kutle and another 12 persons
indicted for the abuse of the authority in the case of "Tisak", on
Monday before the council of the Zagreb Municipal Court pleaded not
guilty to all counts to the indictment.
The indictment read the indictees caused damage to Croatia's
largest press distributor "Tisak" amounting to about 47 million
kuna (DM11.75 million).
After the reading of the indictment which lasted close to two hours,
the first indictee, Miroslav Kutle, was invited to plead guilty or
not. Kutle said that the indictment was not based on the Croatia
Penal Code.
Kutle is charged with having incited former members of Tisak's
management and his business partners to abuse their office in
business operations and forge documents. The prosecution maintains
that although he was not the majority owner of Tisak, Kutle had
instructed the former management and business partners to give
loans to other companies, which, in turn, through various clearance
contracts forwarded the money to the companies from Kutle's 'Globus
Holding' company. This way, the prosecution claims, 47 million kuna
(about US$5.465 million), was drained from Tisak.
"Neither I nor any other indictee have committed a single crime
included in the indictment" Kutle told the court. The other
indictees also pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution proposed that about 15 witnesses be heard, as well
as book keeping and financial experts.
Kutle's attorneys Anto Nobilo and Rajko Mlinaric submitted an
agreement on long-term business cooperation between companies
Globus Holding, Slobodna Dalmacija, Globus, Diona, and Tisak,
dating November 1995, as evidence.
"This is a crucial document which contests claims included in the
indictment and on which the relationship between Tisak and other
companies is based, as well as all business activities among them",
Nobilo said, adding the police performed this manipulation because
they failed to submit this document to the prosecution.
Nobilo stressed that the entire indictment was based on a claim that
Kutle influenced members of the Management Board, and the document
proved Kutle only performed his duties listed in his contracted.
Kutle is one of the most media exposed overnight moguls in Croatia,
who owns over 100 companies, of which many have gone bankrupt. There
were many speculations in media on the way Kutle had gained his
wealth, considering that the majority of his wealth Kutle gained in
a very short time. His closeness with the former ruling party in
Croatia (the Croatian Democratic Union) was often pointed to.
Recently, the police filed more charges against Kutle due to a
suspicion he had damaged his company Globus Holding for about DM15
million, while selling Diona stocks to it in 1995, for the price
twice as expensive as the one he bought them for.
(hina) it jn