L. Maestro Case Mocks Battle Against Corruption

Even though 20 months have passed since the arrest of Ivan Gotovac, and the final hearing for the “Little Maestro” case was held today, which included closing arguments, USKOK’s (Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime) Sani Ljubicic changed one point on the indictment according to the judge’s proposal. After the president of the Court Council Vladimir Pavlekovic listed that part of the listed act does not match the stated article of the law, Ljubicic changed the factual description of the indictment, so Gotovac and Svjetlan Stanic are now being charged with the abuse of position and powers, more precisely prompting the abuse of powers in an attempt.

However, as the defence states, even that attempt has not been proven. Lawyers Ljubo Pavasovic-Viskovic and Ante Nobilo, giving their final arguments, repeated what they have claimed since the beginning. They said that a broiler and a trip to Monte Carlo were not bribes, but friendly gifts, which their clients often gave to one another.

As evidence of this relationship, Pavasovic supplied plane tickets for Paris in the name of Gotovac, Stanic and their wives, as well as photographs taken on one of their, as they say, many trips.

Stanic knew more about Dalmacijavino than Gotovac?

Nobody from the defence denies that during those private gatherings, those accused occasionally talked about business, but Stanic repeated today, as well as his layer Nobilo, that the fact is that he knew a lot more about the company “Dalmacijavino” than Gotovac, whilst for the Bellevue hotel issue, Gotovac did not have any knowledge, and his friend sent him to Josko Ivacic, a lawyer from the HFP (Croatian Privatization Fund). However, the prosecution did not agree with that, saying that Gotovac used the HFP’s expert services to do Stanic a favour.

“The activities of the HFP linked to the Bellevue hotel were calm until the second suspect gained interest in the hotel, so he arranged with the first suspect for help, after which Gotovac used HFP’s expert services to help Stanic” said Ljubicic.

Giving their final arguments, the prosecution listed that from the evidence supplied to the court, it could be seen what occurred in the Dalmacijavino case, and that the criminal acts that Stanic and Gotovac are being charged for have been proven. Also, Ljubicic characterized the claims of friendly relations as absolutely unimportant for this process, adding that corruption criminal offenses occur “behind closed doors” in friendly circles.

“The fact that HFP’s official driver was sent for the broiler and cigarettes that Stanic sent to Gotovac, speaks in favour of Gotovac abusing his position. All acts that Gotovac did for Stanic were linked to the promise that Stanic gave Gotovac, that in the future, when Gotovac leaves the HFP, he would have the position of business advisor” said Ljubicic.

What damage occurred to the budget?

Gotovac’s departure from the HFP was confirmed by Stanic’s lawyer Nobilo, but as an argument that Gotovac’s acts could not help his client. As Nobilo said, 15 days after being arrested, Gotovac was scheduled to leave the HFP, and the projects Dalmacijavino and Bellevue should have occurred much later. Gotovac’s lawyer Pavasovic was somewhat stricter in giving his final words, who said that he has been waiting for 20 months for an explanation on what damage was done to the Croatian budget through the acts of his client, and in which way it could help Svjetlan Stanic.

“The competition goes through a number of filters, and the final decision would be made b the management board led by Damir Polancec. Ivan Gotovac could not influence that decision. Besides that, USKOK has been saying since the start of the process, that Gotovac wanted to harm the budget, by including a clause in the contract on Dalmacijavino’s real estate, which would allegedly help Stanic. Now in their final arguments they are saying that he harmed the budget by taking that clause out” said Pavasovic. He added that the clause was removed by Polancec after the competition failed twice. Polancec ordered that Dalmacijavino be sold at a competition with special conditions, as soon as possible, despite the opinion of the State Attorney’s Office that the real estate is located on the protected seaside, and that it needs to be relocated.

“500 families convicted to unemployment because of a broiler”

“In that case the State Attorney’s Office has done the most damage, because due to one broiler, 500 families were convicted to unemployment” concluded Pavasovic.

In his final words, Gotovac’s lawyer mentioned the Laurus company which is in receivership, which the Bellevue hotel belongs to. He said that in the law, it states that the HFP does not have any authority over a company in receivership, which means that Gotovac did not have any authority over that company.

The lawyer Nobilo concluded that the trial of the “Small Maestro” case will be remembered by the fact that people’s relationships are attempted to be shown as corruptive relations, as well as the fact that a process was launched against people who were fourth in line to make decisions, which for him represents mocking the battle against corruption. In the end, Nobilo concluded that the listed acts of abuse of position from the indictment were not illegal, nor did the prosecution prove that acts from the indictment were committed. Both lawyers requested acquittals for their clients, which the court will bring a verdict on, on February 10.