Zagreb County Court will hear the trial of former HDZ minister Božidar Kalmeta on Thursday, November 23, in relation to two separate affairs: the Fimi media affair and the HAC-Remorker affair. A retrial was ordered by the Supreme Court following a previous acquittal that was deemed illegal last year.
The prosecution claims that Kalmeta shared large sums of money with his associates from road maintenance and construction companies. Two of his associates, Stjepko Boban and Damir Kezele, were previously sentenced. However, unlike what was stated in the indictment, the prosecutor argues that Kalmeta did not organize a group to extract money. Other individuals accused alongside him were found not guilty as well, although the prosecution appealed the decision in the Supreme Court.
The remorker affair also involved other individuals who admitted to wrongdoing, including the former financial director of HAC.
Kalmeta has denied all accusations against him and has labeled himself a victim of political persecution. Despite this, his defense team argues that admitting guilt under the law does not necessarily equate to actual criminal wrongdoing.