ZAGREB, Nov 2 (Hina) - Zagreb police have brought charges against Nevenka Tudjman, the daughter of late President Franjo Tudjman, for illegal mediation to the advantage of entrepreneur Igor Knezevic, who shared commissions with her.
Knezevic is suspected of abuse of office.
ZAGREB, Nov 2 (Hina) - Zagreb police have brought charges against
Nevenka Tudjman, the daughter of late President Franjo Tudjman, for
illegal mediation to the advantage of entrepreneur Igor Knezevic,
who shared commissions with her. Knezevic is suspected of abuse of
office.#L#
Nevenka Tudjman is suspected of four instances of illegal
mediation, and Knezevic of abusing his office 15 times, Zagreb
police spokesman Goran Volarevic told a news conference on
Thursday.
Following an investigation request by the state prosecutor's
office, police established that the 48-year-old daughter of the
former head of state had used her social standing and reputation to
have Knezevic, 35, owner of a home appliance and telephone repair
company, engaged at the Science and Technology Ministry in the
1996-2000 period, without a bid for tenders or qualification, as
chief expert for inviting tenders, selecting contractors and
supervising the installation of telephone switchboards.
Abusing his office at the ministry, in bids for tenders Knezevic
favoured French company Alcatel, whose broker he was, ensuring the
installation of Alcatel switchboards in nine faculties and two
institutes. He received commission from the company, giving
Nevenka Tudjman a share.
Knezevic also secured contracts between three Zagreb faculties and
the Ericsson Nikola Tesla company, with his own company Telecom as
sub-contractor.
Knezevic favoured another of his companies, Datanet, in a bid for
tenders to sign contracts with two faculties.
Nevenka Tudjman also mediated in helping Knezevic's company
Telecom sign contracts, without or by means of incomplete bids for
tenders, with Privredna banka Zagreb, public company Robni
terminali, and Koncar imobilija. Knezevic made over 10 million kuna
($1.12 million) from these contracts, giving Nevenka Tudjman over
two million in commissions.
Allegations of illegal property gain by the Tudjman family have
been appearing in the media for several years, gaining steam after
Zagrebacka banka employee Ankica Lepej leaked to the press
information on the savings of Tudjman's wife Ankica.
In September, Tudjman's son Miroslav denied that some members of
the family had acquired wealth illegally. His denial came in the
wake of an interview incumbent President Stipe Mesic gave the New
York Times in which he claimed that several cases implicating
members of the Tudjman family were being investigated.
The former president's eldest son said the Mesic claim was a
"political harangue against the Tudjman family."
The Zagreb police reported Nevenka Tudjman to the municipal state
prosecutor's office on Oct. 27. The report contained the suspects'
first names and first letters of the last names. The office today
confirmed receiving the report.
(hina) ha jn