Calmeta Faces Legal Challenges Over Two Affair Allegations

Zagreb County Court will hear the trial of Božidar Kalmeta, former HDZ minister, on Thursday, November 23. The trial is related to two separate affairs: the Fimi media affair and the HAC-Remorker affair.

Last year, the Supreme Court ordered a retrial after a previous acquittal was deemed illegal. The prosecution claims that Kalmeta shared large sums of money with his associates from road maintenance and construction companies. However, unlike claims made in the indictment, the prosecutor argues that Kalmeta did not organize a group to extract money.

Two of his associates, Stjepko Boban and Damir Kezele, were previously sentenced. Other individuals accused alongside Kalmeta 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. However, it is unclear whether they will be charged or tried along with Kalmeta.

Kalmeta has denied all accusations and labeled himself a victim of political persecution. According to him, admitting guilt under the law does not equate to actual criminal wrongdoing. He argues that he was simply an innocent bystander in these affairs and has no knowledge or involvement in any illegal activities.

The trial is expected to be closely watched by legal experts and members of both political parties involved in these affairs.

It is important to note that this article was written based on publicly available information as of November 20th, 2021 and may have changed since then due to updates from official sources or legal proceedings.

Overall, this trial represents a significant moment for Croatian politics as it sheds light on allegations of corruption and illegal activities involving high-ranking government officials. It remains to be seen how this trial will unfold and what consequences it may have for those involved.