The parliamentary Credentials and Privileges Commission on Monday stripped MP Lovro Kuscevic of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and a former public administration minister of parliamentary immunity at the request of the State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) for the purpose of pressing criminal charges on suspicion of abuse of office and powers.
DORH suspects Kuscevic of wrongdoing in real estate transactions and of abuse of office while he was at the helm of the municipality of Nerezisca and that more suspects were involved in the affairs.
Even though the commission’s chairman Zeljko Tusek appealed to MPs not to make any political qualifications, opposition MPs lambasted Kuscevic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
MP Gordan Maras of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) claimed that Kuscevic was the prime minister’s closest associate, the administration minister until recently and HDZ’s political secretary.
“Until two months ago the prime minister fervently defended Kuscevic and said that he had gone over every sheet of paper with him and that there was nothing contentious there, which is even more concerning,” Maras said.
He added that he expects the prime minister to step down if an indictment against Kuscevic is upheld because he took political responsibility for him.
Bridge Party MP Robert Podoljnak too considers that the case undoubtedly indicates Prime Minister Plenkovic’s responsibility because he defended Kuscevic even though the documents show justified suspicion of a criminal act. He added that it was disappointing that there were no control mechanisms to prevent situations of this nature and that crime and corruption was identified by the media.
Kuscevic is suspected of murky real estate deals when he was the mayor of Nerezisca on the island of Brac.
An investigation by the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) is extended to Kuscevic’s brother-in-law Ivica Zuvic, a former chairman of the Nerezisca municipal council Jaksa Goic and incumbent municipal mayor Svemir Obilinovic.
