The Croatian President's Office issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic had appointed Ivan Turudic as the State Attorney-General to prevent any investigation into the corrupt and criminal group of people led by the prime minister.

“Andrej Plenkovic had to place HDZ’s ‘boy’, as (former prime minister) Ivo Sanader once affectionately referred to him, at the helm of State Attorney’s Office (DORH) to pre-empt and prevent any potential investigation against the corrupt and criminal group of people led by AP, and we all know that’s Andrej Plenkovic,” the President’s Office said in a statement after Turudic was sworn in as the State Attorney-General in Parliament on Wednesday.

It added that now it is clear to everyone that the forthcoming parliamentary elections were the main reason “for this urgent and forceful action of party occupation of DORH.”

“Attacks on the EPPO are already producing results”

The statement says that Plenkovic no longer hides his intention to “prevent the revelation of the role of AP or his closest associates in corrupt and criminal activities” because both “had already targeted the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, whose investigation had come close to AP.”

“For weeks, Andrej Plenkovic has been threatening European prosecutors and driving them away from his doorstep, publicly calling out and blackmailing DORH and USKOK (Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime), while intimidating the media by placing Ivan Turudic in charge of Lex AP as a clear warning.”

The President’s Office says that these attacks on the EPPO are already producing results.

“USKOK and DORH (are) beginning to seriously question the jurisdiction of European prosecutors in a case that greatly worries Andrej Plenkovic. Even the State Attorney-General, Zlata Hrvoj-Sipek, confirmed today that she received instructions on how to handle the European Public Prosecutor’s Office directly from the Government, from Plenkovic’s unpunished residence faker, Zvonimir Frka-Petesic.”

Turudic should never have been nominated, let alone elected

The statement says that Turudic “should never have been nominated, let alone elected”, recalling that as early as 5 January, President Milanovic warned that “DORH can uphold its constitutional position and fulfil its duties only if an individual is appointed who is entirely politically and party-independent, possesses proven expertise, and maintains an untarnished personal and professional reputation.”

The President “continued to publicly and clearly warn that this individual could not be elected as the State Attorney General because his selection would entirely jeopardize the constitutional position of DORH as an independent body.

Moreover, the President of the Republic personally provided Andrej Plenkovic with documents from the Security and Intelligence Agency confirming that Ivan Turudic, as a judge of the Zagreb County Court, violated all norms of judicial office by associating with individuals under indictments of that same court.”

Socialising with people under indictments was Turudic’s behavioural pattern

“At the same time, it was revealed and publicly disclosed that this was not an isolated incident, but rather a pattern of behaviour exhibited by Ivan Turudic, who for years socialized, corresponded, and provided services to individuals from both political and criminal circles. And that wasn’t all; it was proven that he lied to both the public and parliamentary representatives, the very ones who later elected him to the position of State Attorney-General. He did all of this without any sense of shame, confirming that he is a person willing to lie, associate with suspects, and favour criminals, while not hiding his political dependence on the HDZ party,” the statement says.

“The unethical judge, proven liar, favourite of the criminal underworld, and politically dependent on the HDZ – who was sworn in today as the State Attorney General – is precisely the yardstick of values that define Andrej Plenkovic today. However, for Croatia, this signifies a path towards the bottom of democratic and civilizational values, which will cost it dearly. Therefore, steadfast and unwavering resistance to the established tyranny of Andrej Plenkovic must continue.”

“Andrej Plenkovic has now removed his Brussels mask and shown everyone that he is a political tyrant who is willing to continue subjugating anyone in Croatia who thinks independently. European values were merely a career passport to Brussels for Andrej Plenkovic, who remains a lackey who will question Brussels’ orders only if they don’t align with his personal interests, as in the case of the European Prosecutor,” the President’s Office said.