The Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) on Thursday evening launched an investigation into the CEO of oil pipeline operator JANAF, Dragan Kovacevic, and another ten people on suspicion of influence peddling, bribery, illicit preferential treatment, and aiding and abetting in these crimes.

The main suspect in the case is Kreso Petek, the founder and head of operations at the Elektrocentar Petek company from Ivanic Grad. The suspects also include two members of Parliament – a mayor from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and another from the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Parliament is expected to vote on the Privileges and Credentials Commission’s decision to strip them of immunity from prosecution at 10am today.

The main suspect Petek allegedly gave Kovacevic HRK 1.96 million in reward for business deals awarded to his company by JANAF since September 2019.

He is also suspected of giving HRK 100,000 to the mayor of Nova Gradiska, Vinko Grgic (SDP), in reward for helping award a deal in a public tender to a consortium that included Petek’s company.

The mayor of Velika Gorica, Drazen Barisic (HDZ), allegedly ensured the award of a HRK 97.3 million public procurement deal to Petek’s company. Using his mayoral position, he asked the chairman of the board of the local water management company to modify public tender documentation to suit the demands of Petek and his consultant.