The State Attorney's Office (DORH) said on Friday it was conducting inquiries into Construction, Physical Planning and State Assets Minister Ivan Paladina and examining criminal complaints filed against him.

DORH said Paladina confirmed that complaints had been filed against him and that, after examining some of them, they decided to dismiss them, but added they requested that the remaining complaints be examined.

According to the Index news website, prosecutors are looking into Paladina’s acquisition of bonds in the IGH construction company.

Paladina, who worked as a consultant before entering politics, was appointed Construction Minister in March this year by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. The previous Construction Minister, Darko Horvat, stepped down after being arrested by the anti-corruption office USKOK for alleged abuse of position.

Paladina says ‘nothing new’ in report on inquiries

Responding to DORH’s press release, the minister said it contained “absolutely nothing new.”

“It is already known that my former partners filed several criminal complaints against me, nearly all of which have been dismissed, as confirmed by DORH today. As far as I know, the procedure in one or two complaints is not over yet,” he told the Croatian state news agency Hina.

“After a criminal complaint has been filed against you, DORH must look into it,” he added.