The Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK) has requested the Supreme Court to change the first-instance verdict against former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in the Hypo and Ina-MOL cases from ten years to the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
USKOK has filed an appeal with the County Court in Zagreb regarding the court’s decision on the sentence, which USKOK believes was imposed for too short a duration, as stated in a press release published on the DORH website.
It is explained that Sanader was found guilty of war profiteering, for which he was sentenced to three years and six months, and for accepting bribes, for which he received seven years and six months in prison, resulting in a combined sentence of ten years.
“Considering that Sanader committed the criminal acts using the official position he held while performing the highest state functions, namely as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs during the state of war in Croatia, and later as Prime Minister, and that he used these positions not for the protection of the interests of the Republic of Croatia but for his own benefit, USKOK believes that the accused should have been sentenced to the maximum duration for the aforementioned criminal acts,” the statement reads.
Sanader’s defense has also appealed the verdict of Judge Ivan Turudić, claiming that the provisions of the criminal procedure were significantly violated, that the factual situation was incorrectly and incompletely established, and also regarding the decision on the sentence itself.
The defense seeks the annulment of the non-final verdict and a retrial, arguing that the court was too harsh and did not sufficiently consider Sanader’s mitigating circumstances, including his participation in the Homeland War.
