The head of the Bosnian Croat HDZ party, Dragan Covic, and six former executives of the HPT postal and telecommunications company went on trial in the southern Bosnian city of Mostar on Wednesday for the privatisation of the local mobile phone operator Eronet.
The seven accused are charged with transferring 51 per cent of Eronet shares from HPT to private firms Croherc, Alpina Komerc and Hercegovina Osiguranje, to which HPT owed money for the construction work performed.
Covic at the time served as chairman of the HPT managing board. The other accused are former HPT director Marinko Giljo, and managing board members Vladimir Soljic, Slavica Josipovic, Neven Djukic, Matan Zaric and Ivan Backo.
All the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges and their attorneys filed several objections to the indictment, which the judges rejected. The prosecution said it would call seven witnesses and expert witnesses.
The Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina previously declared the privatisation of Eronet null and void and restored the shares of the Federation.
