The trial of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), former prime minister and former HDZ president Ivo Sanader and other defendants in the Fimi Media case resumed on Monday, after a summer recess, with the testimony of former Gredelj director Anton Fabek who said that he provided money for the financing of the party's election campaign, at the request of Sanader and former HDZ party treasurer Mladen Barisis.
Fabek claims that after a meeting with Sanader in the government headquarters at which he was threatened he would lose his job, he first paid HRK500,000 and then another EUR10,000 to Barisic. He said he borrowed the money from two entrepreneurs.
"There was no mention of money being paid to the party's bank account. I was requested to bring cash to Barisic in person. I interpreted all of that as blackmail," Fabek said.
Together with Barisic and Sanader, also present at the meeting in the government headquarters were then then ministers Bozidar Kalmeta and Damir Polancec and spokesman for Sanader Ratko Macek. Sanader allegedly told Fabek that the HDZ had problems with financing the election campaign and that state-owned companies in which directors were appointed by the government were acting as if they did not need to participate.
"He also said this was my last warning before being sacked and after Kalmeta told him that I was good at my job, I didn't get fired, I only got a warning," the witness said.
The witness also said that before the meeting with the prime minister, party treasurer Barisic, who was also head of the customs administration, also asked him for money for financing the HDZ.
Barisic allegedly asked for one million kuna but Fabek told him he could not withdraw that much money from the company without having a valid reason.
"Barisic then told me that I will have to explain myself personally to the prime minister. The following day I was called in for a meeting at which Sanader explained what was expected of me," Fabek recalled.
The witness said that apart from him, also invited that day for talks in the government headquarters was Croatian Postal Service director Robert Jukic, who is scheduled to take the stand later today.
Sanader objected to Fabek's testimony saying it was not true. He said Fabek was invited for talks in the government headquarters to explain the purchase of an apartment with the company's money and not to provide funds for the financing of the HDZ election campaign. He stressed the meeting took place in 2007 and not 2009 and that Macek was not present at the meeting.
