On Thursday, November 23, Božidar Kalmeta, the former HDZ minister, will face trial at Zagreb County Court. The trial will be related to the Fimi media affair and the HAC-Remorker affair. Last year, a retrial was ordered by the Supreme Court after an initial acquittal was deemed illegal.

According to the prosecution, Kalmeta shared large sums of money with his associates from road maintenance and construction companies. Two of his associates, Stjepko Boban and Damir Kezele, were previously sentenced for their involvement in the case. However, unlike what was claimed in the indictment, the prosecutor has argued that Kalmeta did not organize a group to extract money.

The remorker affair also involved other individuals who admitted to wrongdoing. Despite this, other individuals accused alongside Kalmeta were found not guilty. The prosecution appealed this decision in the Supreme Court, but it stood firm.

Kalmeta has denied all allegations against him and labeled himself a victim of political persecution. The defense argues that admitting guilt under the law is not equivalent to actual criminal wrongdoing.