The Croatian Parliament's Credentials and Privileges Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the launching of criminal proceedings against Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) member of Parliament Petar Cobankovic, who is charged with making it possible as former Regional Development Minister for former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and HDZ MP Stjepan Fiolic to unlawfully acquire financial gain, whereby the state budget was defrauded of nearly 38 million kuna.
The national anti-corruption office USKOK claims that Fiolic sold a building in Planinska Street in Zagreb in 2009 to the Ministry of Regional Development for a considerably higher price than the going market rates and that it was done with the help of Sanader, Cobankovic and Mladen Mlinarevic, whose consulting firm assessed the value of the building. The ministry paid HRK 79.9 million for the building, more than double its actual value.
The State Attorney's Office (DORH) says that Sanader unlawfully earned 17.3 million kuna from the sale and Fiolic's firm nearly 8 million.
Parliament is to confirm the Commission's decision at its next session.
