Police and USKOK Raided Several Driving Schools in Zagreb

USKOK and the police today raided several driving schools in Zagreb. Twenty individuals have been arrested on suspicion of committing corrupt criminal offenses, specifically for issuing certificates and confirmations of professional qualifications for drivers operating vehicles for the transport of goods and passengers (categories C, CE, and D) in exchange for previously agreed monetary amounts, without actually conducting the necessary training for truck and bus drivers, reports Index.

Below, we fully convey the statements from USKOK and the police.

USKOK, based on the criminal report from the Zagreb Police Department, has issued a decision to conduct an investigation against 20 Croatian citizens, a commercial company, and an adult education institution due to reasonable suspicion of committing criminal acts of organized crime, abuse of position and authority, forgery of official or business documents, aiding in the abuse of position and authority, and aiding in the forgery of official or business documents, all as part of an organized crime group.

There is reasonable suspicion that, from January to June 2023, in the area of Zagreb and elsewhere in Croatia, the authorized representative of two branches of the XXI district commercial company, which has the status of an authorized center for training to obtain initial qualifications and periodic training for drivers of vehicles in categories C, CE, and D, and actually managing the operations of the XXII district adult education institution authorized to perform the tasks of professional training for drivers of freight vehicles, connected in joint action with the II district administrative officer in the XXI district company, the III district traffic instructor in the XXI district company, as well as intermediaries from the IV to XX district, determining as the goal of the joint action the acquisition of significant unjust property benefits for themselves and others through the continuous issuance of unreliable certificates and confirmations of periodic training and professional qualifications for drivers operating vehicles for the transport of goods and passengers, for an agreed monetary amount.

In the described manner, the I., II., and III. districts prepared certificates from the XXI district company about the conducted periodic training of drivers as well as confirmations from the XXII district institution about the qualifications of drivers of freight vehicles, regardless of whether such training was conducted, and then delivered them through the IV to XX districts to the drivers in whose names they were issued.

Thus, they obtained unjust material benefits of at least €85,151.66, which money was shared among the I. district and other defendants according to the assigned roles.

USKOK has proposed to the investigating judge of the County Court in Zagreb to order investigative detention against three defendants,” USKOK stated.

Police: Several Personal Searches Conducted

The police also reported that several personal searches, vehicle searches, home searches, business, and other premises were conducted, and that several mobile phones, money, and business documents were seized.

– Police officers of the Zagreb Police Department, in coordination with the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime and in cooperation with the National Police Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, the Zadar Police Department, the Karlovac Police Department, the Sisak-Moslavina Police Department, the Krapina-Zagorje Police Department, the Bjelovar-Bilogora Police Department, the Brod-Posavina Police Department, the Požega-Slavonia Police Department, and the Vukovar-Srijem Police Department completed a criminal investigation against 20 individuals, one commercial company, and one educational institution due to suspicion of committing criminal acts of organized crime, abuse of position and authority, forgery of official or business documents, aiding in the abuse of position and authority, and aiding in the forgery of official or business documents, all as part of an organized crime group.

It is suspected that from January 2023 to June 2023, in the area of Zagreb and elsewhere in Croatia, acting with the intention of acquiring unjust material benefits for themselves and others, a 41-year-old suspect, as an authorized person representing the commercial company, independently and without limitation, connected in joint action with other suspects (37, 39, 49, 51, 48, 30, 33, 58, 45, 43, 53, 49, 51, 64, 23, 61, 35, 58, and 50) for the continuous issuance of unreliable certificates and confirmations of periodic training and professional qualifications for drivers operating vehicles for the transport of goods and passengers, for an agreed monetary amount.

The suspects are believed to have issued certificates from the authorized center about the conducted periodic training of drivers, regardless of whether such training was conducted, and also issued confirmations from the authorized educational institution about the qualifications of drivers, and then delivered them to the drivers, thereby obtaining unjust material benefits of at least €85,151.66.

During the criminal investigation, several personal searches, vehicle searches, home searches, and searches of business premises were conducted, during which several mobile phones, money, and business documentation were seized.

After the completion of the criminal investigation, the police officers submitted a criminal report to the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime, while the suspects were handed over to the detention supervisor within the legal timeframe – the police reported.