KERUM'S CRIMES

Prosecution investigating Fani Horvat's purchase of property on Marjan

18.01.2011 u 11:32

Bionic
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If suspicions that provisions of the Environmental Protection Act were bypassed are proven to be true and that properties on the mountain overlooking Split were not first offered to the county, state and city are proved true, then the €1.2 million sale contract will be null and void.

The Split prosecution has opened an inquiry into the sale of disputed properties in the Marjan forest and park area to a company owned by Fani Horvat. The company purchased 5,500 m2 of property in 2008, the State Attorney confirmed for Tportal.

Tportal reports that there are serious indications that Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum’s mistress bypassed the Environmental Protection Act, according to which the county, state and city have a first-buy option for properties zoned within protected areas.

All information points towards this article having been bypassed, and the prosecution in Split officially requested information on this case from the Split-Dalmatia County on Sunday.

So far, no response has been received although one must come soon, despite the fact that Mayor Kerum’s Croatian Civil Party (HGS) is a coalition member of the county government.

If the suspicions are proven, it is certain that the State Attorney in Split will move to have the contract voided. This, in turn, would mean an end to plans for a catering industry complex that has Split citizens in uproar.

A suit to void the contract could also be filed by the County or Split City Hall, but it is unlikely that Kerum’s HGS will make a move against his mistress Fani Horvat.

In May of 2008, Latebra – owned by Fani Horvat – signed two contracts worth €1.2 million, while during that same year the company filed the properties for registry at the Split’s court’s property registry department. In cases like this, it is nearly impossible for the entire process – from sale to registration – to be completed in just a matter of months.

Suspicions regarding the regularity were confirmed by Ivan Kuret who was mayor of Split in 2008. Kuret says that he would have certainly remembered receiving an offer to buy property on Marjan during his mandate.’

‘I would have remembered that case because it’s about Marjan, but also because of the high price,’ Kuret said. Former Latebra managing director, cousin to Fani Horvat and current Split City Council member, Drazen Delic, refused to comment on this case.

The company Latebra was established in early-2008 with the minimal 20,000 kuna base capital required by law. Because of this, it is possible that the company’s only purpose was to buy the disputed property on the mountain overlooking Croatia’s second largest city.

It is clear in the documents Tportal has in its possession that the property on Marjan was purchased for €1.2 million. The only question, however, is where did the company come up with that large a sum? And there is even more to the story than that.

Kerum’s mistress purchased the property from Split families Marasovic, Tecilazic, Basic, Engel and Feric. One year after coming to power, the Split Mayor gave her free reign in conducting an urban-architectural bid for the area. This secured Horvat a considerable advantage towards winning a concession for a nearby beach.

According to unofficial information, a win in this bid is almost certain for an architect unknown to the general public, one Ljubica Jeramaz. Her only credentials so far is that she is the daughter of Kerum’s ‘personal architect’ Zoran Jeramaz, a member of Split’s City Council. Other Split architects who responded to the immoral bid are, apparently, little more than a beard.