ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) 鈥� Croatia's health minister and several others were detained on Friday on suspicion of corruption as part of an investigation launched by the European prosecutor's office, authorities said.
Minister Vili Bero拧, the directors of two hospitals in the capital Zagreb, and two companies are suspected of "accepting and giving bribes, abuse of position and authority and money laundering," the European Public Prosecutor鈥檚 Office, or EPPO, in Zagreb said in a statement.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi膰 promptly sacked Bero拧 from the government, HRT state television said. Croatian media reported that police raided Bero拧' home in Zagreb early on Friday.
鈥淚 am appalled by the idea that anyone in the health system would use their position for personal gains or for favors to anyone else,鈥� Plenkovi膰 said at a press conference. 鈥淭he health system is a particularly sensitive department.
鈥淲e as a government have not and will not protect anyone from criminal prosecution if they are suspected of committing criminal acts, regardless of who that may be or which duty they have,鈥� Plenkovi膰 said.
Bero拧' lawyer Laura Valkovi膰 said he denied wrongdoing.
Croatia has had severe problems with systemic and political corruption. Among the 27 European Union member countries, it is generally ranked by international anti-graft groups as one of the most corrupt states.
The EPPO statement said that five of the suspects between June 2022 and Nov. 2024 鈥渢eamed up鈥� to secure undue financial gains for two companies by promising and giving monetary rewards to relevant stakeholders.
鈥淭heir goal was to ensure that one of the companies was allowed to sell medical robotic devices for several hospitals in Croatia,鈥� the statement added. The group was also suspected of offering bribes to manipulate the public procurement process and exclude market competition in favor of that company.
鈥淥ther suspects offered and handed over bribes to several relevant stakeholders in the public health system, including the minister of health and the directors of two hospitals, to gain their support for different contracts" funded by the EU or Croatia's national budget, said the EPPO statement.
This was attempted on at least four occasions but didn't work in the case of an EU-funded project in the coastal town of Split, where the responsible person refused the offered bribe, the prosecutors said.
In the other three cases in various hospitals in Zagreb, the statement said the health minister allegedly approved the purchase of microscopes at prices that were increased by 619,583 euros ($654,000) in exchange of a bribe.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecutors' office of the European Union. It鈥痠s responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
Croatia's State Attorney Ivan Turudi膰 criticized the EU prosecutors for allegedly not informing Croatia's anti-graft authorities that they are also investigating Bero拧 and the others. He said that he will decide who is responsible for the entire case.
The EPPO stated that they suspected Bero拧 of receiving bribes, while Turudi膰 said Croatian investigators are accusing him of the lesser crime of 鈥渋nfluence peddling."
Darko Bandic, The Associated Press
