The Zagreb County Court on Thursday upheld the amended indictment against former mayor of the northern Croatian city of Varazdin Ivan Cehok charged with favouring the co-accused Varazdin businessman Davor Patafta and defrauding the city budget of at least 49.5 million kuna between late 2007 and mid-2011.
The panel of judges, presided by Judge Jasna Smiljanic, that returned the indictment against Cehok to the anti-corruption agency USKOK for further elaboration in May, announced this decision at a hearing held on Thursday morning.
The indictment was confirmed in its entirety after USKOK elaborated in detail why it deems that in the case of Cehok and the other accused it was a conspiracy to commit the alleged crimes.
"The judge has said that during the trial there will be enough time to clear all misunderstandings," Patafta's lawyer Ante Madunic told the press expressing conviction that "should law be respected at all" the result of the trial will be an acquittal.
Cehok is charged with favouring the co-accused Varazdin businessman Davor Patafta when choosing Patafta's companies for doing business with the city companies, thus defrauding the city budget of at least 49.5 million kuna between late 2007 and mid-2011. During that time, Patafta was paid at least 35.8 million kuna.
Also accused are Narcisa Huljev, Tomislav Kezelj, Hrvoje Vojvoda and three firms owned by Patafta. USKOK accused them last December of a conspiracy to commit crime, abuse of office, and incitement to abuse of office.
Cehok was released from pre-trial detention in July 2011 after posting 2.6 million kuna bail. Patafta posted one of the highest bail in Croatia's judicial history -- 12 million kuna (2 million in cash and 10 million in bills of exchange).
