Like the other accused who had admitted to siphoning public money through the Fimi Media marketing company into a slush fund of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Fimi Media owner Nevenka Jurak on Monday chose to remain silent in court as her line of defence.
"I will exercise my right to remain silent. I stand by my previous statements and do not want to answer further questions," Jurak told Zagreb County Court judge Ivana Calic, who then read the statements she had given to USKOK anti-corruption investigators in the second half of 2010.
During the investigation, Jurak described in detail how, on account of her acquaintance with former HDZ treasurer and customs chief Mladen Barisic, she had started to enter into contracts with state institutions and public companies. The profits made by her Fimi Media agency went into the HDZ's slush fund, and according to witness testimonies, that money was used to finance HDZ election campaigns and party officials. Most of the money allegedly went to the accused former Prime Minister and HDZ leader, Ivo Sanader.
USKOK alleged in the indictment that the accused in this case siphoned about 70 million kuna (9.3 million euros) of public money into the HDZ slush fund.
