The County Court in Zagreb has decided to lift the pre-trial detention of the former head of the state-run Croatian Roads road operator, Josip Skoric, and his cousin Zoran Skoric, who heads the Osijek Koteks company. The pre-trial detention was lifted after the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) interviewed all witnesses who could influence them.

They were arrested by the USKOK on 21 September on suspicion of being involved in the manipulation of Croatian Roads construction tenders, as a result of which Josip Skoric allegedly received bribes.

How were the deals manipulated?

USKOK alleges that Skoric received rewards in return for contracts that Croatian Roads signed with Osijek Koteks, which then subcontracted Structivo, owned by the third suspect in the affair, Sandra Bajtl. The work had a total value of 10 million euros.

According to the investigation order, the issue is that Structivo did not have the necessary references for noise protection work. It is suspected that Josip Skoric, at the request of Zoran Skoric, changed the tender conditions and tailored the payments for the work on the Osijek bypass specifically to Sandra Bajtl’s company.

How high were the bribes that Skoric received?

USKOK claims that according to an agreement in May 2023, Zoran Skoric bought a personal vehicle worth at least 66,900 euros for Josip Skoric and later paid for additional equipment for this vehicle worth 3,500 euros.

Zoran Skoric is also alleged to have organised the financing of part of the construction work on Josip Skoric’s family home. Sandra Bajtl provided equipment and materials worth at least 52,281.74 euros.

To disguise everything, USKOK says, Josip Skoric did not transfer ownership of the vehicles to himself, while Sandra Bajtl declared the expenses as costs for the renovation of her own property in Osijek.

After his arrest, Skoric reportedly took a holiday. A few days ago, when his detention was extended, Forbes Croatia learnt that he had been granted unpaid leave.