The first accused is Drago Macek, who at the time relevant to the indictment, 2005-06, represented Wessels, a German company which had commissioned four tankers. He is charged with inciting abuse of office. The second is Goran Vukasovic, the shipyard's then director, and the third is Ante Luetic, Brodosplit's then sales officer. They are charged with abuse of office.
The other defendants are Mateo Tramontana, Ivica Donkov, Hrvoje Matovinovic, Danijel Nikolic and Ivan Cesarac. They are accused of money laundering.
Judge Zoran Kezic called the next hearing for December 6.
Deputy County Prosecutor Marina Matusan said the attorneys representing Macek and Donkov had submitted a brief asking that the trial be cancelled because they were already fined "for opening an account abroad without the knowledge of the Croatian National Bank." There were no grounds for that, she said, because this crime was more serious and carried a prison sentence.
Defence attorneys objected, suggesting the trial be cancelled because it was necessary to honour the human rights convention, which says that someone cannot be tried for the same offence twice, and the two had in 2008 already been punished by the State Inspectorate.
Responding to questions from the press after the hearing, attorney Anto Nobilo said it was not true that when the investigation in this case began, he had offered the State Prosecutor's Office that his client, Macek, turn state witness.
The Brodosplit scandal was uncovered in 2006, when Austria issued a warning about money laundering in the Split-based shipyard. The then management board and Wessels had agreed that each of the four commissioned tankers would cost $51.5 million, but Vukasovic signed additional letters giving back the client 1.9% of the agreed price in commission. As a result, $4.7 million was laundered.
About 50 witnesses will testify in the trial.