The Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) has issued an indictment against Zadar County Prefect Bozidar Longin, on suspicion that he asked a port officer to cancel his €48.60 invoice for using a berth on the island of Ist in September.

Without revealing the identity of the suspect, the prosecution said Longin was suspected of influence peddling and indictment was lodged with Split County Court.

In October 2023, USKOK launched an investigation into the Zadar County Prefect Longin of the HDZ party, suspected of asking a port officer to cancel his €48.60 invoice for using a berth on the island of Ist on 9 September.

USKOK  indicts Longin of using his position as the county prefect, and thus an authorised representative of Zadar County as the founder of the Zadar County Port Authority, to ensure free mooring for a vessel he was piloting on the occasion in question.

The prosecution said that on 8 September Longin tied up the vessel to a transit berth with the intention of using it until 10 September. On 9 September, a port officer issued a €48.60 invoice for the use of the berth, and Longin asked the port officer why he had charged him.

USKOK said that the port officer said that he charged everyone who used the berth and that he answered to the director of the Zadar County Port Authority. Longin then said that he was the director’s boss and told the port officer to cancel the invoice.

Due to Longin’s authority as Zadar County Prefect and a representative of the founder of his employer, the port officer cancelled the invoice, USKOK added.