"Damir Polancec is an unavoidable figure in this trial," said attorney Ljubo Pavasovic Viskovic who represents the first defendant Gotovac.
Polancec was Gotovac's immediate superior whom Gotovac informed about everything during the privatisation of the Dalmacijavino company, the lawyer said.
The Croatian Supreme Court in July overturned the acquittal of Gotovac and Stanic of charges of bribery and abuse of office and incitement to commit those offences. Gotovac was acquitted of the charges that he abused his office and received from Stanic as bribe a baking lid and a paid trip to Monte Carlo in exchange for favouring the businessman in the privatisation of the Dalmacijavino company and the Laurus company in the official receivership. Stanic had been charged with bribing Gotovac and encouraging him to abuse his office and powers to enable him to acquire, under favourable conditions, the shares and property of the companies from the HFP portfolio.
Overturning the acquittal, the Supreme Court said that Gotovac had gone to great lengths to help and inform Stanic about the planned privatisation of Dalmacijavino.
The trial in this case, dubbed "Little Maestro", resumes in December.