Testifying in the Fimi Media trial against former PM Ivo Sanader and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, a former employee of the party and government, Ida Kavelj, on Monday said that counsel for the defendant Cedo Prodanovic advised one witness to tone down her testimony.
Sanader and the party are being tried for allegedly syphoning HRK 70 million from state-run institutions and companies.
Responding to questioning by prosecutor Zeljka Mostecak, the witness said that she had received a phone call from Sanader's former associate Bianca Matkovic who asked that the witness come to Zagreb a little "earlier" so that she could consult with Sanader's counsel. She added that she and three other witnesses met with Prodanovic in his apartment on Sunday afternoon and he presented them with their depositions given previously to the anti-corruption office (USKOK).
One witness however, Zeljka Canjuga commented that she regretted having made a "disputable statement" which accuses Sanader.
"The lawyer told her that if she wanted to help then she should say that she approached him (Sanader) and not visa versa and that everything had been discussed in the secretary-generals office then headed by Ivan Jarnjak", the witness said.
Prodanovic then asked Kavelj to repeat exactly what he had told her and the other other witnesses. Kavelj said that he had advised them to repeat what they had said in their original deposition and that they could refer to Sunday's meeting as there was nothing disputable in it, the witness said.
Kavelj and four other witnesses have stated that they were paid in cash for their work in the HDZ and that they did not have any contract. They were paid out by the party's former treasurer Branka Pavosevic who informed USKOK of the existence of a secrete party fund.
