A court file with a ruling sentencing former Croatian First Deputy Prime Minister Radimir Cacic to 22 months' imprisonment for causing a fatal traffic accident in Hungary three years ago, arrived at the Zagreb County Court from Hungary on Thursday, court spokesman Kresimir Devcic told the media.
He said that a decision on the punishment would be made by a three-member panel of judges but that it was too soon to say when, as there was no legal deadline.
The panel will not discuss culpability, the facts or the legal qualifications in the Hungarian ruling, only the punishment and whether it complies with Croatia's laws and judicial practice. The panel's decision will not be final but can be appealed at the Supreme Court.
Under the Hungarian ruling, Cacic must serve half of the prison sentence.
The Zagreb County Court panel of judges cannot increase the punishment but it can reduce it or replace it with a suspended sentence. Since Hungary has granted only preliminary and not full consent for Cacic to serve the sentence in Croatia, it will have the final say, meaning that it can withdraw its consent if it is unhappy with the Zagreb court's decision, in which case Cacic would have to serve the sentence in Hungary.
Croatia and Hungary have no agreement on cooperation in the enforcement of prison sentences, but the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons allows for the possibility that Cacic serves his sentence in Croatia. Cacic requested so in November and in late December Hungary gave its preliminary consent.
A Kaposvar court sentenced Cacic on 14 November 2012 to 22 months' imprisonment for causing a car crash in Hungary on 8 January 2010 in which two people were killed.
After being sentenced, Cacic resigned as first deputy PM and economy minister.
