Zagreb (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European prosecutors cautioned of breaches of the rule of law in Croatia, after the country took over a graft investigation they had launched, and expressed they had informed Brussels.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb probed eight people, including former health minister Vili Beros, on suspicion of bribery, abuse of position and money laundering. According to the EPPO, the project secured “undue financial gains” through the procurement of medical equipment for public hospitals funded by money from both the European Union and Croatia.
What triggered the dispute between Croatian and European prosecutors?
However, Zagreb extended a separate investigation that led to the detention of Beros and two others last week. The minister was sacked by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic immediately after he was apprehended. European prosecutors hoped their Croatian peers to hand the matter over to them but the country’s attorney-general, Ivan Turudic, determined that the national anti-graft prosecutors (USKOK) would be in command.
The EPPO stated in a statement that it “strongly conflicts with the decision of the state attorney-general” but nonetheless “abided by his ruling… and relinquished its investigation to USKOK”. European prosecutors discovered on the day of the arrests about an investigation led by the Croatian officers “into facts falling within the EPPO’s competence”, it stated.
European chief prosecutor Laura Kovesi subsequently reported to the European Commission about the events, “underlining Croatia’s systemic challenges in upholding the rule of law”, the statement added. Among its key situations, the EPPO said that it had been unable to express its position to the attorney -general and that Croatian prosecutors had failed to document that they were investigating an EU-funded undertaking.
What challenges does Croatia face in tackling corruption in public health?
Local media and the opposition assume that the Croatian investigation, which targets fewer people, was projected as a damage control measure to stop a more thorough probe. Croatia has long worked to contain rampant corruption and the public health sector has been notorious for the bribing of doctors. Many public hospital doctors work in similar private clinics, where they often direct their patients and where they can charge fees — generating widespread public annoyance.
