The defence team for former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Friday accused the Zagreb County Court and the Zagreb Municipal Court of violating the confidentiality of an investigation into their client when they made it possible for the press to publish order on the temporary seizure of Sanader's business premises in Zagreb, while both courts dismissed their responsibility for the publication of the writ.
The Jutarnji List daily published the County Court's order on the temporary seizure of the offices in the Sarengradska Ulica Street, claiming that it obtained the order legally and that the document became public as soon as the County Court sent it to the Municipal Court to enforce the writ of seizure.
Defence lawyer Goran Suic accused the two courts of violating regulations on the confidentiality of the investigation, recalling that all parties in the proceedings are obliged to keep secret data collected in the investigation.
Suic declined to comment on the contents of the writ. According to the press, the Croatian national agency investigating corruption and organised crime (USKOK) alleges that the private Fimi Media acquired unlawfully at least HRK 44 million, and Sanader himself was given at least HRK 28 million.
Declining to comment on those allegations, the lawyer said that it was sad to see that the defence team heard about the case from the media first.
The spokesman for the Zagreb County Court, Kresimir Devicic, said that he would not comment on media reports, and stressed that definitely this court had not provided the media with the writ of temporary seizure of those business premises.
The spokeswoman for the Zagreb Municipal Court, Maja Bilandza, said that this court could not and did not reveal the order in the public.
The Sanader family and Sanader's business partner Steven Vatroslav Brkich appealed the temporary seizure but their appeal was in the meantime rejected by the court.
Another appeal against the confiscation of the art collection from the Sanader family's home is still being considered by the judicial authorities.
Sanader's art collection and business assets have been temporarily seized and his bank accounts frozen as collateral so the state can collect money if the former PM is found guilty of abuse of office in unlawful operations involving the power supply company HEP and the petrochemical company Dioki and of conspiracy to siphon funds from ministries and public companies via the Fimi Media marketing agency.
Sanader is held in the extradition custody in Salzburg where he was arrested on 10 December following a warrant for his apprehension issued by Croatia.
