However, they did not reach a plea deal with the anti-corruption office USKOK and will be tried together with former Prime Minister and former HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) president Ivo Sanader and the party's former campaign manager, Ratko Macek, who continue to deny all the charges.

Sanader said the Fimi Media case was unfolding on the same principle as the other proceedings in which he was accused or suspected and in which he also denied all the charges.

"The approach is similar to the previous cases. Someone admits... to committing a crime and then says, Sanader told me to do it," Sanader said after today's preliminary hearing at the Zagreb County Court.

He said he would prove that it had not been like that.

His counsel Cedo Prodanovic said the defence and USKOK exchanged evidence today on which they would take positions tomorrow, after which presiding Judge Ivana Calic would decide which evidence could be introduced during the main hearing.

He said the defence proposed calling about 200 witnesses and the prosecution 349.

The attorneys defending Barisic and Jurak did not propose any witnesses since their clients pleaded guilty.

"Even though we made no plea bargain, we can't move away from such a defence given that it was true and it is our most important mitigating circumstance," Barisic's counsel Ante Madunic said, adding that given his client's plea, he would certainly be found guilty.

The attorney representing the HDZ, the first Croatian political party indicted as a legal person, said the party presidency had not known about any of the crimes it was charged with, as it had not discussed any of the decisions at issue.

The HDZ is also the injured party in this case, as it is sustaining constant political damage, said Damir Sesvecan.

"Especially until 2007, when the new law on the financing of political parties went into force, there were no obstacles at all to recording donations in giro accounts. Therefore, since they were not recorded, the HDZ sustained damage."

Sesvecan said the HDZ would prove during the trial who had been the responsible person in the party.

"We know that the responsible person, which is also alleged by the prosecution, from 2003 to 2009 was Ivo Sanader, even though the party's statute says that the responsible person is the HDZ Presidency, which did not decide on any actions of which the HDZ has been accused."

Asked if that meant that the HDZ was trying to shift the blame onto individuals, Sesvecan said he was only saying how the party had functioned in the period covered by the indictment.