The investigation into corruption at the Ministry of Health must not spare anyone and must ensure that all those involved in the misappropriation of public funds are exposed and punished, President Zoran Milanovic said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

European prosecutors have launched the investigation and have already started gathering evidence and expanding their investigation, which now includes several suspects and criminal offences.

He pointed out that due to the Office of State Attorney General (DORH) lacking both personnel and resources, it is crucial for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to continue and finalise the investigation.

“The investigation into the alleged corruption of the Minister of Health would not even have started if it had been left to the DORH”

Milanovic expressed concern about the current allocation of DORH’s resources, which he said were being diverted to cases already being handled by EPPO.

“More importantly, the investigation into the alleged corruption of the Minister of Health would not even have started if it had been left to the DORH. The DORH only started investigating this corruption a few weeks ago, while the EPPO started its investigation five months ago,” emphasised Milanovic.

The President noted that the corruption in the government of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic was only uncovered after the European prosecutors had launched an investigation.

National disgrace

He called this a national disgrace and said that Croatia should be able to independently investigate and punish crimes and corruption without relying on EPPO, which can only be achieved by a State Attorney-General’s office that is completely free from political influence.

Milanovic also criticised the judiciary under Plenkovic’s government, claiming that it had focused more on protecting his government than on protecting public interests and, in this case, money in the health sector.

Finally, the President accused Plenkovic of manipulating the judicial system in order to maintain control and referred to the controversial appointment of Ivan Turudic as State Attorney- General.