Finance Minister Zdravko Marić testified at a meeting of the Commission for the Decision on Conflict of Interest that at the government summit with Agrokor leaders in February last year, he presented possible models for ensuring liquidity for Agrokor through HBOR, but that his role at that meeting was passive.
He stated, however, that his role at that meeting was passive and that he did not personally advocate for any solutions but merely presented all available HBOR programs at the request, while warning of the danger of rising public debt and the possibility that the European Commission might interpret this financing as illegal state aid.
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He dismissed the interpretation that his testimony today differs from the written statement in which he merely mentioned that he did not actively participate in that meeting nor make proposals.
From Božo Petrov, who was also heard before the commission members, it was learned that Prime Minister Plenković asked Marić about the possibilities of financing through HBOR at that meeting.
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Marić likely felt uncomfortable at that meeting as a former employee of Agrokor, so he was passive until halfway through the meeting until Plenković asked him a question, said Petrov, who was the Speaker of the Parliament at the time.
Petrov, when asked if he got the impression that Marić wanted to help his former employer at that meeting, replied that he could not say whether Marić intended to favor, but that he had all the concrete information.
