Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ZAGREB302
2009-05-29 06:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Zagreb
Cable title:
ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 28, 2009
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UNCLAS ZAGREB 000302
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR POPOVICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 28, 2009
UNCLAS ZAGREB 000302
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR POPOVICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 28, 2009
1. (U) FUGITIVE MP BRANIMIR GLAVAS THREATENS JUDGE:
Fugitive war criminal and still Member of Parliament Branimir
Glavas called the office of the Zagreb County Court and
indirectly threatened Judge Zeljko Horvatovic, who convicted
Glavas earlier this month to ten years in prison for war
crimes. Croatian press speculate that prosecutors may charge
Glavas for threatening a judge. Meanwhile, Glavas remains in
Bosnia where he fled before the conviction. Croatian news
reports have noted that, according to the Western Herzegovina
Canton Police Station, Glavas' application for Bosnian
citizenship was processed in just two months, which -- says
the paper -- makes the process highly suspect because of a
generally slow and ineffective Bosnian bureaucracy. (VDjukic)
2. FOREIGN AMBASSADORS BRIEFED ON CROATIA'S COOPERATION WITH
ICTY:
On May 27, Croatian Minister of Justice Ivan Simonovic and
the State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
European Integration, Bianca Matkovic, held a briefing for
chiefs of foreign missions to discuss Croatia's cooperation
with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY). Matkovic emphasized that the Croatian
government was fully cooperating with the Hague-based
tribunal and that it would remain committed to this
cooperation. Justice Minister Simonovic notified diplomats
of Croatia's latest moves aimed at searching for documents
wanted by the ICTY prosecution. Minister Simonovic informed
the Ambassadors about his latest meeting with ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and about continuing differences
in their positions on the requested documents which have not
been found. (VDjukic)
3. FOURTEEN DEFENDANTS IN "OPERATION INDEX" FOUND GUILTY:
On May 27, Zagreb County Court announced its verdict against
14 defendants, including professors, students, and
intermediaries, charged with corruption at the Faculty of
Transport Sciences. Two individuals received jail time: the
former vice-dean of the Zagreb Faculty of Transport and
Traffic Engineering and the main "middleman" in the
transactions between students and professors were sentenced
to two and a half years and a year and a half in prison,
respectively. The other 12 accused in that case, including
senior lecturers, received suspended sentences. Two other
cases from "Operation Index", one involving 33 defendants
from the Faculty of Transport Science and the other involving
23 defendants from the Economics Faculty, are still ongoing.
The investigation, which involved a massive raid at two
university faculties in September, 2008, is one of Croatia's
largest corruption cases to date. (VDjukic)
BRADTKE
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/SCE, EUR/PPD, EUR/RPM AND EUR/ERA
OSD FOR POPOVICH
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV HR
SUBJECT: ZAGREB WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT - MAY 28, 2009
1. (U) FUGITIVE MP BRANIMIR GLAVAS THREATENS JUDGE:
Fugitive war criminal and still Member of Parliament Branimir
Glavas called the office of the Zagreb County Court and
indirectly threatened Judge Zeljko Horvatovic, who convicted
Glavas earlier this month to ten years in prison for war
crimes. Croatian press speculate that prosecutors may charge
Glavas for threatening a judge. Meanwhile, Glavas remains in
Bosnia where he fled before the conviction. Croatian news
reports have noted that, according to the Western Herzegovina
Canton Police Station, Glavas' application for Bosnian
citizenship was processed in just two months, which -- says
the paper -- makes the process highly suspect because of a
generally slow and ineffective Bosnian bureaucracy. (VDjukic)
2. FOREIGN AMBASSADORS BRIEFED ON CROATIA'S COOPERATION WITH
ICTY:
On May 27, Croatian Minister of Justice Ivan Simonovic and
the State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
European Integration, Bianca Matkovic, held a briefing for
chiefs of foreign missions to discuss Croatia's cooperation
with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY). Matkovic emphasized that the Croatian
government was fully cooperating with the Hague-based
tribunal and that it would remain committed to this
cooperation. Justice Minister Simonovic notified diplomats
of Croatia's latest moves aimed at searching for documents
wanted by the ICTY prosecution. Minister Simonovic informed
the Ambassadors about his latest meeting with ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and about continuing differences
in their positions on the requested documents which have not
been found. (VDjukic)
3. FOURTEEN DEFENDANTS IN "OPERATION INDEX" FOUND GUILTY:
On May 27, Zagreb County Court announced its verdict against
14 defendants, including professors, students, and
intermediaries, charged with corruption at the Faculty of
Transport Sciences. Two individuals received jail time: the
former vice-dean of the Zagreb Faculty of Transport and
Traffic Engineering and the main "middleman" in the
transactions between students and professors were sentenced
to two and a half years and a year and a half in prison,
respectively. The other 12 accused in that case, including
senior lecturers, received suspended sentences. Two other
cases from "Operation Index", one involving 33 defendants
from the Faculty of Transport Science and the other involving
23 defendants from the Economics Faculty, are still ongoing.
The investigation, which involved a massive raid at two
university faculties in September, 2008, is one of Croatia's
largest corruption cases to date. (VDjukic)
BRADTKE