USKOK

USKOK (Croatian Ured za suzbijanje korupcije i organiziranog kriminaliteta; German authorities to combat corruption and organized crime) is a company specializing in the fight against corruption and organized crime authority of the Croatian prosecutor ( kroat. Državno Republike Hrvatske odvjetništvo, DORH ). USKOK was founded in 2001, as a result of the realization that the phenomenon of corruption and organized crime increased and systematic attention should be paid in all its segments, both through education, prevention, and through targeted anti-corruption.

The seat of authority is in Zagreb. The responsibility of the authority extends to the entire territory of Croatia. The management of the activities of the Authority 's director, who is appointed by the Attorney General of the Republic of Croatia, after first obtaining the opinion of the Minister of Justice and the College of Prosecutors. For USKOK director of the Vice - Attorney General or a Gespanschafts prosecutor or his representative may be appointed, if this fulfills the criteria for appointment as Deputy Attorney General. The mandate of the Director takes four years with the possibility for re- nomination. In the performance of official duties, the Director has the rights and obligations of a prosecutor. The activities of the Prosecutor's Office within USKOK be met by the director and his representative. These are supported by higher consultants, advisors, and experts in their work. Current USKOK director is Dinko Cvitan. The Croatian Attorney General is currently Mladen Bajić.

Consist Since 2009 USKOK counterparts both at the Croatian Criminal Investigation, as well as in the Croatian judiciary. The Directorate of the Judicial Police of the Croatian special authority was deliberately given a similar-sounding name: Police USKOK national authority ( kroat. Policijski nacionalni USKOK, PNUSKOK ). The judiciary, court departments were for criminal cases under the jurisdiction of USKOK set ( kroat. Sudski odjeli za postupanje u predmetima kaznenih Djela iz nadležnosti USKOK -a).

Jurisdiction

USKOK engaged in the fight against corruption and organized crime. The Law on the Establishment of the USKOK authority all offenses are listed, which fall within their jurisdiction. All other crime types are the responsibility of the prosecutor.

The Authority takes over the tasks of the prosecution, inter alia for the following criminal offenses ( the exact offense definitions are listed in the Croatian Criminal Code ):

• Abuse in the bankruptcy proceedings, disloyal competition on the foreign trade, abuse of power by government authorities carrier, unlawful intervention, acceptance of bribes resources, acceptance of bribes resources in the area of economic activity, both active bribery of government officials as well as economic activities
• Unconstitutional deprivation of liberty, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking and slavery, illegal transfer of persons across the state border, robbery, extortion, embezzlement, unlawful acquired amounts of money ( "money laundering" ) and illegal demands for money, these crimes were committed by a group or a criminal organization
• Intoxicant abuse
• Association for the purpose of committing offenses, including all offenses which perpetrated this group or criminal organization, except for offenses against the Republic of Croatia or the Croatian armed forces
• Offenses in connection with the activities of a group or a criminal organization for which a sentence to the extent of more than three years is provided, and when this crime was committed on the territory of two or more States, or if a significant part of the preparations or planning to the territory of another State was committed

The Authority is also responsible for the criminal leadership against the organizers of groups or criminal organizations in the following areas: committing offenses, their incitement, illegal gold trading, deceiving the customs supervision.

Also for the following offenses in connection with the commission of an offense USKOK is responsible: embezzlement against the law of acquired funds, proof prevention, extortion constitutional officers, obstructing an official in the performance of official duties, aggression against a public official, uncovering the identity of a protected witness.

The criminal concepts of a group or a criminal organization are regulated by the Strafgesetzordung. A group of people consisting of at least three persons who are connected to the permanent or temporary committing offenses, each of these individuals bears a share of the commission of the offense. In a criminal organization is defined as the structured association of at least three persons, which is over a certain period of time and has been working with the common aim of committing one or more offenses, the for obtaining a direct or indirect financial or other material benefit or for the purpose implementation and maintenance of the supervision of individual economic or other activities, where this is to the extent of offenses a prison sentence of at least four years. Criminal organizations are the basis of the concept of organized crime dar.

Investigations

All the institutions of state power and all legal persons who bring in their environment, or in carrying out their activities circumstances and details of experience, pointing to a crime within the jurisdiction of USKOK are, especially in the case of alleged criminal activities committed by at least three persons to make a complaint or to communicate USKOK.

All files within the competence of USKOK subject to strict confidentiality.

Criminal proceedings for offenses under the jurisdiction of USKOK be carried out by the Gespanschafts - courts in Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka and Split.

USKOK operations or investigations

As a result, some of the medial- known USKOK operations are given, their criminal Prozessuierung sometimes was not yet complete:

• Operation Maestro (. , 2008 and Tri Tenora, German Operation Three Tenors ): In connection with allegations of corruption in the Croatian banking sector and, in particular concerning the management of the Croatian Privatisation Fund (HFP, Kroat Hrvatski fond za privatizaciju. ), Which, inter alia, to the arrest of the three vice-presidents of the privatization fund (also known as Three Tenors ) led. A wide -reaching issue is about the illegal enrichment of certain personalities in the transition phase to a market economy. The investigation included, inter alia, also the division of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
• Investigations in the " affair Dragulji " (2008): In connection with investigations into organized arms trafficking in times of war Croatia. The investigations resulted, inter alia, the delivery of the main accused former General Vladimir Zagorec from Austria. To ensure delivery endeavored also the Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. In the ongoing investigation should, inter alia, be elicited, should be whether and how a case has been lost with jewels ( kroat. dragulji stands for jewels ).
• Investigations in the " affair Brodosplit " (2008): Studies on the former privatization efforts of the yards " Brodosplit " and " Brodotrogir " in Trogir and Split. The investigations include alleged involvement of former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in this matter.
• Operation Indeks (2009): In connection with various corruption allegations against professors and students of the University of Zagreb ( the Croatian study book is called " Indeks ", from the Latin collegium index ).
• Operation Gruntovec: In connection with the activities of the Cadastral Agency ( kroat. gruntovnica ) in Zagreb.
• Investigations in the " affair Kamioni ": studies on the procurement activities in the Croatian armed forces led to the lifting of immunity of the then reigning Croatian defense minister Berislav Rončević. They were concerned with the procurement of trucks on the company " Eurokamioni " ( in Croatian is kamion for trucks).
• Operation Podravka (2009): In connection with the business activities of the Croatian food company Podravka, among other things, led to the arrest of the then reigning Croatian economy minister Damir Polančec. The matter is referred to in the Croatian media as the " Spice Affair " ( kroat. AFERA ​​Spice).
• Operation HŽ (2009): In connection with the business activities of the Croatian Railways " Hrvatske željeznice " ( HŽ ), which led to the arrest of some senior board members.
• Operation Nesklad ( Ger. surgery inconsistency, 2009): In connection with the business activities of the Croatian motorway operator company Hrvatske autoceste doo and the operations of the construction company Skladgradnja from Imotski.
• Operation ATM (2009): In connection with the business activities of the Croatian Post Bank ( kroat. Hrvatska banka Postanska, HPB ). The operation led to the arrest of Josip Protega, the chairman of the Croatian Postal Bank.