Thirteen agents of the Croatian military intelligence agency VSOA are under investigation in an embezzlement probe, including former head of VSOA, Ivica Kinder, who is suspected of covering up the case, the Jutarnji List daily reported on Thursday.

The case of financial wrongdoing at the VSOA has been investigated by the National Security Council Office and anti-corruption investigators from Uskok for more than six months, and the scandal resulted in the resignation of General Kinder, which happened after President Zoran Milanovic launched the procedure for his replacement.

The VSOA has been practically left without its leadership after Kinder stepped down three months ago.

According to information available to the daily, the investigation at the VSOA refers to 13 agents who are suspected of having embezzled 2 million kuna (€265,000) which was supposed to be spent on military missions abroad in Poland, Lithuania, and Lebanon. Among the persons under investigation is “most probably” the former VSOA director Kinder.

Some of the military-intelligence agents are suspected of having used official funds to gather worthless information, taking for themselves the money they declared to have been given to their informants.

The daily said that none of the agents under investigation have been suspended, and in the meantime some have even been promoted, with one having been sent to serve in the Croatian mission to NATO.

The case was discovered during an internal control conducted by the National Security Council Office (UVNS), after which another, more detailed control was carried out and after irregularities were identified, a negative report on the VSOA’s work was issued.

The UVNS then informed the prosecutorial authorities of its findings, and two months ago Uskok joined the investigation.