Dragan Kovačević, a former director of the state-owned Janaf company, will face trial at the Zagreb County Court on Friday, November 24, for charges related to bribery and arranging deals in the company. The indictment against him includes several other individuals, including entrepreneurs Krešo Petek, Edo Seifried, Ivan Širić, and Vatroslav Sablić, as well as two former employees of Janaf.
The indictment claims that Petek paid Kovačević and his associates a million euros in exchange for jobs worth almost HRK 65 million for Petek’s company. Kovačević is also accused of receiving two apartments from an entrepreneur whose companies he arranged deals worth millions of dollars. Dozens of witnesses are expected to be heard during the procedure for arranging deals worth HRK 100 million.
Kovačević and Petek are also involved in a second part of the Janaf affair related to arranging jobs for Elektrocentra Petek. A new investigation was launched against Kovačević and Petek by Uskok, suspecting him of taking money from Petek in exchange for arranging jobs in Janaf; and Petek of buying clothes for Kovačević and his family and friends.
In a statement before the indictment panel, Kovačević claimed that the indictment is “completely fabricated and false” and urged for a “quick and fair trial.” He attempted to maneuver before the Constitutional Court to save his substantial assets but was unsuccessful. His assets were frozen by Uskok prior to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code in June 2022. Despite this amendment counting asset freezing until the indictment is filed, it remains unclear what will happen to Kovačević’s assets after his trial.