Croatian authorities on Wednesday charged a former defence minister and his aide over the alleged embezzlement of at least 1.4 million euros (two million dollars) to buy Italian trucks.

- Berislav Roncevic and his former aide Ivo Bacic are charged for the abuse of power due to which they caused damage of large proportions to the state ... in the amount of at least 10.2 million kunas - the National Bureau for the Fight Against Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) said in a statement.

Roncevic, currently a deputy with the ruling conservatives, has called the allegations politically motivated. Parliament lifted his immunity earlier this month.

The controversial deal dates back to 2004 when his ministry had solicited bids for the purchase of 76 trucks, but later retracted the request saying it did not have the funds for the order.

It later emerged however that the ministry had purchased 39 trucks worth 4.7 million euros (seven million dollars) from Iveco, a division of Fiat, via Croatian dealer Eurokamion without going through the public bidding process.

Roncevic held the defence portfolio between 2003 and 2008, when he was named interior minister.

He was sacked from that post in October 2008 due to a spate of violence including several mafia-style murders in the capital Zagreb.

During the past few months Croatia has stepped up the fight against corruption, among the key criteria the country must meet if it wants to join the European Union.

The former Yugoslav republic hopes to become the bloc's 28th member by 2011.