USKOK today filed an indictment in the ‘Gruntovec’ case against 28 individuals accused of receiving and giving bribes, illegal mediation, abuse of position and authority, and forgery of official documents.
Four clerks and two officials from the Land Registry Department of the Zagreb Municipal Civil Court and one official from the non-litigious department, one official from the Zagreb Municipal Criminal Court, one from the Municipal Court in Zaprešić, one official from the State Attorney’s Office, three lawyers, and 15 citizens have been charged, as announced by USKOK on its website. The accused are alleged to have committed the criminal acts from June to December 2007 in Zagreb and one in Zaprešić.
Six officials from the Land Registry Department of the Zagreb Municipal Civil Court and one official from the Municipal Court in Zaprešić are accused of, at the request of citizens, officials, and lawyers, repeatedly and urgently resolving land registry matters and conducting their registration, either personally or through colleagues.
In addition, contrary to the rules of operation in the Department, they forged decisions, issued land registry extracts, allowed access and provided data from files, and made copies. The accused demanded and received money for such work, ranging from several hundred to several thousand kuna, as well as several thousand euros. Besides money, they were rewarded for their services by settling private bills, employing family members, vacations, loans, and other gifts, as well as services such as expedited issuance of travel documents, loans, organizing medical examinations, and procuring computer equipment without VAT.
