A decision is expected soon, sources at the Constitutional Court said.
It would be a great pity if Dalekovod ended up in bankruptcy and liquidation, and it would be good if it continued operating given the jobs and its prospects, Entrepreneurship Minister Gordan Maras said earlier today.
He was asked by the press what he expected of the Constitutional Court's decision on Dalekovod's complaint against the Zagreb Commercial Court ruling which halted the pre-bankruptcy settlement proceedings in the company.
Maras said he could not and would not comment on the work of the Constitutional Court, but that it would be good to inject fresh capital into Dalekovod so that it could continue to operate.
He was hopeful that the ruling would not prevent that, forcing Dalekovod into bankruptcy and liquidation.
It would be a great pity given the 1,800 jobs and exports that can be measured in billions of kuna, he said. "I expect the decision to be such that it will enable us to invest in Dalekovod so that it can survive and undergo restructuring."
Zagreb Commercial Court Judge Mislav Kolakusic halted the pre-bankruptcy settlement proceedings in Dalekovod so that he could file a motion with the Constitutional Court to assess if some provisions from the law on financial operations and pre-bankruptcy settlement comply with the Constitution.
Dalekovod filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court against Kolakusic's ruling, saying it breached fundamental constitutional rights such as the right to a fair trial, equality before the law, and free enterprise.
Kolakusic's decision was criticised by Finance Minister Slavko Linic, who said in July that it reflected the legal insecurity in Croatia because many judges had already accepted settlements in other pre-bankruptcy proceedings.
As for Kolakusic's statement that some law provisions were in breach of the Constitution at the expense of creditors, the state budget and citizens, Linic described it as "very dangerous." He said Judge Kolakusic had practically accused the government and parliament of criminal activities.
The Croatian Judges Association described Linic's statements as unacceptable and uncivilised. Linic responded that no judge was a "sacred cow" and that they would have no right to protection from such assessments if they allowed themselves to label as criminals the parliament, the government and those involved in pre-bankruptcy settlements.
The finance minister said that because of the stay in Dalekovoc's pre-bankruptcy settlement proceedings, the company was losing contracts and creditors could not collect their claims.