Croatia's ambassador to the US, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, will be called to Zagreb for talks for further clarifications regarding the use of an embassy car contrary to regulations, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, adding Grabar-Kitarovic was ordered to return the car to the embassy and pay for unreasonable costs.
The ministry said in a press release that it launched an investigation as soon as it learned that Grabar-Kitarovic had been unlawfully followed and taped, that the footage was released, and that the embassy car had been used contrary to regulations.
The probe revealed that the ambassador had been followed and taped by a security employee at the embassy in Washington who also released the videos and personally confirmed this, the ministry said, adding it had requested that the employee be tried for breach of duty.
The media have recently said the employee in question is Ivan Saric.
Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic said yesterday an urgent termination of the employee's contract with the ministry would be asked and that additional action would be taken if necessary.
The press release said the investigation also revealed that Grabar-Kitarovic and her family had been using two embassy cars. It was established that the distance travelled between 22 July 2008 and 4 March 2010 was 47,778 kilometres and that no record was kept of this.
The ministry said Grabar-Kitarovic would be asked to pay for the unreasonable costs.
