Zagreb County Court set a one-month detention for five persons arrested in a probe of a suspected 848 million kuna (€113 million) natural gas scam, who anti-graft investigator from Uskok allege were involved in conspiracy, abuse of trust in doing businesses, aiding and abetting in that crime, and money laundering.

Investigators suspect that Damir Skugor, an executive in the national energy company Ina, Josip Surjak, head of the Croatian Bar Association, Surjak’s business partner Goran Husic – with whom Surjak co-owns the OMS Upravljanje company – Skugor’s father Dane, and Marija Ratkic, CEO of the regional Plinara Istocne Slavonije gas distribution company were all involved in the scheme.

Investigators believe that from June 2020 to 27 August this year, Skugor, head of Ina’s Gas and Power division and deputy chair of the Plinara Istocne Slavonije Supervisory Board, conspired with the rest of the suspects to buy gas delievered by Ina at below-market prices and sell them to third parties.

As the mastermind of the scam, Skugor allegedly instructed the second accused to obtain, on behalf of the accused company, a permit from the Hera regulatory agency for the provision of gas trading services, which the second accused did, Uskok said. Investigators suspect the accused and the accused company obtained at least 848 million kuna (€113 million) in illegal gains.

Investigators allege that Ina has been defrauded of more than 1 billion kuna (€133 million), that the illegal gains of Skugor and his father amount to nearly 500 million kuna (€67 million), that Husic made a profit of over 90 million kuna (€12 million) and Surjak of 68.9 million kuna (€9 million). In addition, more than 200 million kuna (€27 million) in illegal gains are still in the bank account of Surjak’s OMS Ulaganje company.

Investigators said that the suspects were buying from Ina for €19.5 per MWh and sold it for €210 per MWh. During questioning, Skugor pleaded not guilty, and said that the gas was sold in line with Ina’s standard business policy.

(€1 = 7.51 kuna)