Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) presidency members Andrija Hebrang, Gordan Janrdokovic and Petar Cobankovic said on Monday the start of a trial in the Fimi Media corruption case, in which the party is one of the defendants, would not affect an upcoming intra-party election.
Speaking to the press ahead of a presidency meeting, Hebrang said "it's absolutely clear to everyone in the HDZ that the party never had a slush fund nor gain from allegedly stolen money nor any knowledge about it."
"We are certain that we can defend the party," he said, adding that members of the HDZ presidency would testify in the trial.
Jandrokovic said the trial would not affect the intra-party elections, adding that candidates and their platforms would be crucial for that.
Cobankovic said the start of the trial would not affect the elections either.
The trial in the Fimi Media case began at the Zagreb County Court earlier today. The accused are the HDZ as the first political party in Croatia accused of corruption, its former president Ivo Sanader, three other former party officials, and the owner of the Fimi Media company.
