Testifying in the trial of former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, accused of receiving bribes from MOL to secure for it a dominant position in the Croatian national oil company, the defence witness Bacsa said the reason why the Croatian government in 2009 amended the 2003 shareholders' agreement on INA was to enhance the company's efficiency and get a stable partner.

He recalled that at the time of conclusion of the amended shareholders' agreement, Croatia no longer held a controlling stock and wanted to stabilise INA's finances.

The witness indirectly alluded that INA should be satisfied with having MOL as its strategic partner. MOL provided the Croatian government with drafts of all of its proposals even though it was not obliged to do it, Bacsa said.

MOL helped INA to reach a stable financial situation, helped it in research and development, in the business performance of refineries and in oil trading. Also, MOL advocated that dividends should not be paid but re-invested, while the Croatian side proposed their payment, according to the witness.

Asked by Sanader's defence team if control over a company's investments meant holding management rights in it, the witness said that from the legal point of view, it was true that MOL had been given more management rights in INA.