The Zagreb County Court on Monday found three former police officers guilty of trading in information from secret USKOK anti-corruption office investigations, sentencing Marko Svalina to three and a half years' imprisonment, Tomislav Jerkic to three, and Selma Abadzic to two.

Each must also pay €3,000 in court costs.

During proceedings which lasted nearly 11 years, a number of defendants plea-bargained with USKOK for milder sentences, the statute of limitations expired for two, and another two died in the meantime.

Among those who plea-bargained with USKOK were businessmen Damir Iviv and Stipe Barisic-Moljac, who were each given suspended sentences of ten months with three years’ probation, and former INA oil company executive Josip Petrovic and businessman Zeljko Bilos, who were each given suspended sentences of eight months with three years’ probation.

The first on the indictment, Vladimir Rajic, was given a sentence of 18 months, of which he will spend eight months behind bars, and a suspended sentence of ten months with three years’ probation.

Igor Mlinar also plea-bargained with USKOK and was given a sentence of two years, of which he will spend ten months behind bars, and a suspended sentence of 14 months and five years’ probation.

Case jeopardised some of most important secret investigations

The case was launched during the term of former state attorney-general Mladen Bajic, who said it jeopardised some of the most important secret investigations. It came to light after former policemen Svalina and Vjekoslav Drndic were arrested in September 2012 for leaking information from secret investigations.

The prosecution contended that in 2010 Rajic and Mlinar came to the idea to extract information from police officers, which they later sold to interested parties, bribing the officers with money, construction material, plastic surgery and promises of promotion.

According to the prosecution, the information sold pertained, among others, to former prime minister Ivo Sanader, former Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic, businessman Hrvoje Petrac, the narcotics trade and sensitive cases like the affairs in the HAC motorway operator.