The director of the Zagreb County Tourist Board, Ivana Alilovic, was given a five-month suspended sentence on Monday after reaching an agreement with European prosecutor for allowing former minister Gabrijela Zalac, as an employee of the ministry, to pay for a private party with European funds.

Alilovic must also pay €500 in court costs. She will not go to prison unless she repeats the offence within a year, according to the Zagreb County Court.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is investigating the former Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds because, among other things, the costs of her birthday party were paid for with EU funds.

The deal with the restaurant owner

Alilovic, who was head of department in the Directorate for Strategic Planning and Coordination of EU Funds in Gabriela Zalac’s ministry in 2019, was also responsible for the procurement procedures for catering services for official purposes, which according to the indictment also included the costs for the then minister’s 40th birthday.

The EPPO alleges that Alilovic advised the owner of the restaurant where Gabriela Zalac’s birthday party was held to increase the offer for the delivery of food and drinks for official purposes in order to cover the costs of the private celebration for the minister’s birthday.

The restaurant allegedly submitted a bid of €3,152, which included €1,353 for the former minister’s birthday party. The bill was eventually paid from the Ministry of Regional Development’s technical assistance projects and EU funds, with 85% coming from EU funds and 15% from the state budget.

This case is the fourth that European or Croatian investigators have opened against the former HDZ minister, mainly for corruption.