Investigators of the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) today once again interrogated the former director of the state-owned power supplier HEP, Ivan Mravak, about the cases in which he is a suspect as well as some other cases, his attorney Branko Seric said on Monday.
"Mravak's deposition covered a number of events and he spoke as an accused as well as a witness," Seric said without elaborating further.
Mravak has stated his defence or testified before USKOK a number of times since late August, when Seric took over his case.
Seric said at the time his client would no longer stand mute but defend himself with the truth.
Citing well-informed unnamed sources, the media then quoted Mravak as saying that he had done everything on instructions from above and that he had given HEP money to the then treasurer of the ruling HDZ party, Mladen Barisic, who was recently arrested in a case involving the Fimi Media advertising company.
USKOK has allegedly struck a deal with Mravak under which he will not be accused in the case in exchange for testifying.
Apart from Barisic and former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Mravak has allegedly accused some ministers as well. His attorney said that in his deposition Mravak referred to some people linked to the government but would not say if he accused them.
"USKOK will eventually decide on that," Seric said, but confirmed that he requested Sanader to testify about alleged wrongdoing in the sale of electricity which defrauded HEP of about HRK 600 million.
Sanader's testimony in said investigation has also been requested by Anto Nobilo, the attorney of former Economy Minister Damir Polancec, who claims that the former inner cabinet discussed everything USKOK is now investigating.
Mravak landed in custody on suspicion that he, Polancec and Ivan Kostan, former CEO of the Sibenik Light Metal Factory, defrauded HEP of HRK 600 million.
However, USKOK is also investigating him for selling electricity at a price far below the market value to two firms within the DIOKI concern, and for approving a HRK 15 million loan to the concern with a 60-day repayment period and a 10.5% interest without consulting HEP's board of directors.
Mravak is also suspected of enabling Rade Buljubasic, a returnee from Australia, to receive an HEP salary without working for four years and to buy a flat at a preferential price. Although he was paid by HEP, Buljubasic was actually working at the headquarters of the HDZ party. This case is in the jurisdiction of the Zagreb County Prosecutor's Office and not USKOK.
