The Municipal Court in the eastern town of Vinkovci on Wednesday upheld the indictment against former Defence Minister Mario Banozic, who is accused of causing a fatal traffic accident in November 2023.

The accident occurred on 11 November 2023 at around 6:10 a.m. on state road 55. While driving from Vinkovci to Zupanja, Banozic attempted to overtake several vehicles in front of him in poor visibility due to fog, but crashed into the left side of an oncoming van, killing the 41-year-old driver Goran Saric at the scene.

After the accident, Banozic was taken to the hospital in Vinkovci with serious injuries and then to the hospital in Osijek, from where he was discharged home to recover.

Shortly afterwards, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic dismissed him from his post as defence minister.

Banozic will explain his side of the story in court, and he faces a sentence of one to eight years in prison.