On November 23rd, Božidar Kalmeta, a former HDZ minister, will be tried at the County Court in Zagreb for the Fimi media affair and the HAC-Remorker affair. The Supreme Court ordered a retrial after the previous acquittal was declared illegal. According to the prosecution, Kalmeta shared large sums of money with associates from road maintenance and construction companies.
Two of his associates, Stjepko Boban and Damir Kezele, were previously convicted. However, contrary to the allegations in the indictment, the prosecutor claimed that Calmeta did not organize the group to extract the money. The other defendants, together with Calmet, were declared innocent, although the prosecution appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
The former financial director of HAC and other individuals who admitted wrongdoing were also involved in the tugboat affair.
Calmetta denied the accusations, calling himself a victim of political persecution. Contrary to the assumption of the prosecution, the defense claims that the admission of guilt is not equated with the actual crime under