Zagreb Mayor says the Kostanjević guilty plea has nothing to do with him

A new corruption scandal has emerged in the Zagreb Holding Company. The director of Zagreb's waterworks utility, Marko Blažević, has resigned after finding himself implicated in a corruption investigation. This comes only one day after the former director of Zagreb's Sports Facilities Management Company, Kosta Kostanjević, pled guilty to corruption charges.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević commented on yesterday’s guilty plea from the former director of the Zagreb Sports Facilities Management Company, Kosta Kostanjević: "Kosta Kostanjević was employed in the sports facility management company before I became mayor. I did not know him prior to becoming mayor, and then I would see him out of protocol. I also want to point out that since first hearing about the Hippodrome affair from the media I have not shared a single word with him."

Mayor Tomašević also informed the media about the latest corruption scandal to hit the Zagreb Holding Company: "In other news today, Marko Blažević - the director of the Waterworks Company - tendered his resignation to board of the Zagreb Holding Company, because they as the parent company and not my deputy or I appointed him. He resigned because he was the subject of an investigation regarding public procurement for the Waterworks Company."

According to unconfirmed reports, the investigation deals with rigged tenders valued at some €40 million. Marko Blažević himself issued a statement today confirming that he had indeed resigned over the ongoing investigation:

"I made the decision to resign after finding out that investigations are being conducted that partially encompass processes within the domain of my personal responsibility. I do not feel responsible or guilty for the actions I am accused of and I am confident that this will be established through further investigation."

However, the opposition in the Zagreb City Assembly criticized the mayor's attempt to deflect responsibility in the case, noting that not only had he vociferously defended Kostanjević up until he changed his plea, but that it was the mayor and his inner circle who had appointed the people who would oversee the work of the Zagreb Holding Company and its daughter companies. HDZ councilman Ivan Matijević: "That is a very interesting response from the mayor. However, I would ask him who picks the board of the Zagreb Holding Company. We know that its assembly is comprised of Mr. Tomašević and his deputies Mrs. Dolenec and Mr. Korlaet. So, while his claim that the board of the holding company picks the directors of its daughter companies is technically true, it's the assembly that appoints the board."

In Parliament, MPs noted that the Hippodrome affair exposed the Možemo Party and its hypocrisy. Independent MP Marija Selak Raspudić, called for Mayor Tomašević’s resignation: "If there were any political honor, Tomašević would resign today. They would drown institutions, the city and the country in a glass of water to save themselves. The trample everything in their path when they feel threatened, that is their true face. They have declared everything a pillar of evil while in truth they were protecting common criminals."

"This is the reality of how the SDP and Možemo are running Zagreb and who they truly are. Everything else is just PR and smoke and mirrors in a bid to hide their incompetence and scandals," added HDZ MP Maksimilijan Šimrak.

For his part MOST MP Marin Miletić pointed to another flow of money from the city’s coffers: "There are 13 000 associations in Zagreb! 13 000 of them! And Mayor Tomašević handed them €140 million in a single mandate, without oversight from the state or the city! That is unacceptable!"

Source: HRT