The Conflict of Interest Commission on Wednesday instigated proceedings to determine if Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina was in conflict of interest when he didn't transfer management rights over his company which he was obliged to do by law.
A member of the commission, Branka Lukacevic-Gregic said that the commission was officially obliged to instigate the proceedings based on the knowledge of a possible conflict of interest.
She pointed out that the Assets Register for state officials indicated that Minister Jakovina submitted his declarations of assets on 11 November 2009 as municipal mayor of Bukovlje and then on 4 May 2011. In both declarations he noted that he was the sole owner of the TJ Promet company, yet he only transferred management rights in November 2012 after public pressure.
In that case he was definitely in conflict of interest until 9 November 2012 and I recommend that proceedings be launched, she said.
The commission's chairwoman, Dalija Oreskovic, said that if it is determined that Jakovina was indeed in conflict of interest, the commission had every right to pass down a penalty regardless of the fact that he later corrected the mistake.
Penalties may range from issuing a caution to reducing his salary or publishing the results of the commission which is the commission's chief weapon.
