The Zagreb County Court on Thursday returned the indictment against the former mayor of Varazdin, Ivan Cehok, to the Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) for further elaboration.
"The judges did not confirm the indictment but returned it to USKOK for further elaboration, to explain why it thinks that in the case of Cehok and the other accused it was a conspiracy to commit the alleged crimes," Cehok's lawyer Jasna Novak told the media.
USKOK will also have to decide which opinion of construction experts it considers relevant given that one of the experts, hired by USKOK, confirmed the claims of the defence and not those of the prosecution, Novak said.
Cehok is charged with favouring the co-accused Varazdin businessman Davor Patafta and defrauding the city budget of at least 49.5 million kuna between late 2007 and mid-2011. During that time, Patafta was paid at least 35.8 million kuna.
Also accused are Narcisa Huljev, Tomislav Kezelj, Hrvoje Vojvoda and three firms owned by Patafta. USKOK accused them last December of a conspiracy to commit crime, abuse of office, and incitement to abuse of office.
Cehok was released from pre-trial detention in July 2011 after posting 2.6 million kuna bail. Patafta posted the highest bail in Croatia's judicial history -- 12 million kuna (2 million in cash and 10 million in bills of exchange).
