A former employee of the Drzavne Nekretnine state property management company has accused the company's acting director, Renata Sabo, of using the company for her private interests regarding investments in the renovation of a basement where PM Andrej Plenkovic's chief-of-staff keeps his books.

“I have nothing against such investment, but only when you have your own private property management company instead of using a state-owned company for private interests,” the former employee and whistleblower Maja Djerek said in a message to Sabo.

Djerek issued a statement on Wednesday, commenting on Drzavne Nekretnine’s statement about the renovation of the basement.

After media outlets reported that the prime minister’s chief-of-staff Zvonimir Frka-Petesic keeps his books in a basement in downtown Zagreb and that the 83-square-metre basement was renovated for 417,000 kuna, Drzavne Nekretnine said that the place, used as storage space, was renovated in line with the 2021 business and procurement plan.

Djerek said she had to respond to the statement due “to manipulation and absence of logic”, telling Sabo that someone had to approve the works in the 2021 procurement plan, “and we all know too well that it could not have been done without your direct approval.”

Djerek also said that the plan was made in late 2020, after the Zagreb earthquake and after Frka-Petesic had been using the basement to store his books.

“Efficient and economical management of state property, which your superiors advocate in the Property Management Strategy every couple of years, and which you as an experienced manager (which in court you claim to be) should be aware of, means that you make such investments in real estate that will enable a return for the company (through rent, sale, etc),” Djerek said.

She noted that Frka-Petesic does not pay for the use of the basement and that the little rent he pays for the state-owned apartment he uses as an office-holder (484 kuna) is insufficient to make the investment (in the renovation of the apartment and basement) bring a return in 110 years.

“The only benefit, for you personally, was that Mr Frka-Petesic (probably) liked you very much,” Djerek said.

She noted that in 2019, the first year of her term as head of Drzavne Nekretnine’s department for business premises, around 900,000 kuna was invested in the renovation of those premises and that that same year, the company earned a revenue of more than 80 million kuna from business premises.

“It is time you explained your relationship with the Glavinic family, as well as that your public procurement experts explain how it is possible for the Kultura Prostora d.o.o. company to always make the cheapest bid,” Djerek said, calling on Sabo to address the public directly and explain her decisions.

Djerek, a lawyer by vocation, said in Parliament in January that she had been fired from Drzavne Nekretnine a few months after reporting acts of corruption and wrongdoing. She said there were a lot of state-owned premises and apartments for which use was not charged, lease contracts were not invoiced, business premises were used illegally and subleased, and that her superiors protected certain persons.

She has sued her former employer over her dismissal.

Drzavne Nekretnine have rejected her allegations over which she has given a deposition to the USKOK anti-corruption agency.