Dragan Kovačević, the former Janaf director, is set to go on trial at the Zagreb County Court on November 24th for receiving and giving bribes and arranging deals in the state-owned company. The indictment against him includes several other individuals, including entrepreneurs Krešo Petek, Edo Seifried, Ivan Širić, and Vatroslav Sablić, as well as two former employees of Janaf.

In the indictment, it is claimed that Petek paid Kovačević and his associates a million euros in a scheme related to jobs worth almost HRK 65 million for Petek’s company. Additionally, Kovačević is accused of receiving two apartments from an entrepreneur whose companies he arranged deals worth millions of dollars. Dozens of witnesses are expected to be heard during the procedure for arranging deals worth HRK 100 million.

The trial will also delve into a second part of the Janaf affair related to arranging jobs for Elektrocentra Petek. A new investigation was launched against Kovačević and Petek by Uskok, suspecting him of taking money from Petek in exchange for arranging jobs in Janaf; and Petek of buying clothes for Kovačević and his family and friends.

In a statement before the indictment panel, Kovačević denied any wrongdoing and called for a “quick and fair trial.” He also attempted to maneuver before the Constitutional Court to save his assets but was unsuccessful. His assets had been frozen by Uskok prior to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code in June 2022. Despite this amendment which now counts asset freezing until the indictment is filed, it remains uncertain what will happen to Kovačević’s assets in the future.