The Croatian Parliament's Committee on Justice on Tuesday endorsed amendments to the Penal Code and a separate bill on exemption from the statute of limitations for war profiteering and crimes committed in the process of ownership transformation and privatisation which elaborate a constitutional provision on the exemption of those crimes from the statute of limitations.
Under the proposed amendments to the Penal Code, exemption from the statute of limitations refers to crimes defined by international law as well as to crimes defined by the Constitution, and the bill on exemption from the statute of limitations for war profiteering and privatisation crime lists such crimes committed during the 1991-1995 Homeland War and the process of peaceful reintegration.
Crimes falling under the category of war profiteering and privatisation crime include, among others, unconscientious dealings, causing a bankruptcy, abuse of powers, illegal trade, conclusion of a harmful contract, tax fraud, embezzlement, forging of official documents, bribery, and evasion of customs control.
The Committee also supported amendments to the laws on the Judicial Appointment Council and prosecutors' offices, which are part of benchmarks for the closing of the policy area No. 23, Judiciary and Fundamental Rights.
The amendments envisage, among other things, introducing more disciplinary measures against judges and state prosecutors, and the establishment of a commission which would carry out inquiries regarding decisions of the Judicial Appointment Council and the Prosecutorial Appointment Council.
The Committee will submit an amendment to the law on the Prosecutorial Appointment Council envisaging the exemption of the Council member if he/she is related to candidates on whom he/she makes a decision.
