On Friday morning, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković relieved Vili Beroš, the minister of health involved in corruption suspicions, from his position, whose house was searched at dawn by the police and the prosecution against organized crime (USKOK).
USKOK has confirmed that house searches and arrests are being made in the Zagreb and Skradin area against several persons, one of whom is a high-ranking public official who can be reasonably suspected of committing corruption crimes. At his extraordinary press conference, the Croatian Prime Minister announced:
USKOK detained Vili Beroš on Friday morning. Together with several high-ranking doctors, they are accused of purchasing equipment for a hospital in Zagreb at a significantly overpriced price.
As he said, he received information about the case from the chief prosecutor after the arrest of the Minister of Health, after he immediately dismissed the head of the ministry and appointed Irena Hrstic in his place. He added that these are obviously corruption crimes, and that he supports the bodies involved in criminal proceedings on behalf of the government.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) also spoke on the matter. According to the statement, an investigation has been launched against eight persons, including the Minister of Health and the head of two medical institutions in Zagreb, as well as two legal entities, because there is a well-founded suspicion that they accepted or provided bribes, abused their office and participated in money laundering.
Source: nepszava.hu
