An initiative by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Left-Green Bloc parliamentary groups for an inquiry commission to investigate money siphoned from EU funds had been supported almost by all opposition parties.

Opposition lawmakers said today that if the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) did not  support the motion, that meant it supported crime and corruption.

The inquiry commission would be set up to investigate the work of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Finance and Contracting Agency (SAFU), with the final text of the motion to be presented next week, SDP leader Pedja Grbin said after a meeting of opposition parliamentary groups.

“If the HDZ has any common sense and goodwill, it will support the inquiry commission. If they reject it that means only one thing – that they are fully aware that institutions are corrupt and have been destroyed by HDZ’s actions and that it supports crime and corruption,” said Grbin.

The arrest of former minister of regional development Gabrijela Zalac and SAFU director Tomislav Petric has exposed the grip of HDZ over Croatian institutions.

“Instead of SAFU being expert support and a centre of excellence so Croatia can absorb as many EU funds possible, it has become a place for political deals,” he said.

Grbin added that Croatia is expected to absorb more than €20 billion in the coming period and that money should be to the benefit of everyone, however, only “those who are well networked with HDZ officials” are being pushed.

Chief State Prosecutor and USKOK director should step down or be dismissed

He recalled that a year ago the opposition had called for an inquiry commission into leaks from the State Prosecutor’s Office (DORH) and that the ruling majority rejected that. “And yet today we hear that everything we claimed then was true,” said Grbin and concluded that the chief state prosecutor and director of the USKOK anti-corruption office should step down.

The head of the Green-Left Bloc parliamentary group Sandra Benčić said it was obvious that SAFU acted as a “strict police officer” towards some beneficiaries of EU funds and as a “godfather” to others.

The inquiry commission needs to establish if there were any irregularities in other cases and whether “HDZ companies”, cities and municipalities were in a more favourable position.

“If that is the case then it is not enough for Zalac and Petric to be imprisoned but the entire government is then responsible,” claimed Benčić.

The Social Democrats parliamentary group also supported the establishment of an inquiry commission.

Marijan Pavlicek (Croatian Sovereignists) said that they supported the commission due to the corruption expanding to European money.

Given that the inquiry commission will only be on the agenda in two months’ time, Nikola Grmoja of the Bridge party informed that his party had collected enough signatures from lawmakers for a report by the chief state prosecutor to the Sabor to be put on the agenda.

The opposition will have the opportunity next week already to ask why DORH and UKOK did not react to the Zalac case which has been confirmed by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, he said.