I Have Nothing to Do with Secret Croatian Accounts

Retired Croatian general Vladimir Zagorec testified on Monday in Vienna before the Austrian Parliamentary Committee which examines business of some Austrian banks, saying he had nothing to do with secret accounts of the Republic of Croatia in Austria or in any other country.

Answering to questions of the Committee president and members, Zagorec said he had bank accounts in several Austrian banks and dismissed suspicions of money laundering, stating that he had no privileges or authorisation for signing or taking money from the so called secret accounts of the Republic of Croatia in Austria.

He pointed out that he had no direct contact with the Austrian financial or police services in relation to money laundering. He confirmed that he had conducted several projects in co-operation with the Hypo Alpe Adria bank. According to him, “it was several projects”, but he did not wish to name them, because, as he said, they were “a business secret, but all the projects are legal and can be examined”.

He said of his credit in million amounts with Austrian banks that these are media speculation without any basis. HE confirmed that he was the owner, co-owner or advisor in several Austrian companies and one in Lichtenstein (mostly dealing with real estate). To the question where he got such capital from in Austria, he replied: “As a retired general, I refused pension in Croatia, came to Austria to link people, investors and projects with the know-how and it was financed by banks, it is logical, because I was at a good function in Croatia for 11 years and knew what can be done in Croatia”.

Zagorec dismissed all suspicion that there were jewels which he allegedly stole from the Ministry of defense safe, leaving from the duty of assistant minister, backing this up with information that German arms dealer Josef Rotchaichner recently said at the first hearing in Vienna, under oath, that “he did not deposit any jewels, that there was no bag with diamonds and that there were no diamonds”. Zagorec said this was made up.

Zagorec`s hearing before the Parliamentary Committee lasted for almost two and a half hours and he did not want to give any statements to journalists, saying: -My attorney will do so-.

His attorney Michael Dohr said that this was a political performance, where the point was not to find out about Croatia`s request for legal aid of Austria, nor of Zagorec`s extradition, but questions were attempted to be asked of his ties with Austrian politicians and others, “which failed”.

Zagorec`s attorney did not wish to talk about the contents of the audio DVD which was submitted by Zagorec`s defence at the first hearing, adding: - We have nothing to hide this is why we are here, at the Parliament and this proves that we are playing with our cards wide open-. Dohr repeated that the process against Zagorec was politically motivated, saying that “the DVD will confirm this, as evidence, which was approved by the Vienna investigating court to be brought out at the second hearing in Vienna on July 25-.

President of the Austrian Parliamentary Committee for banks Martin Graf said that today he wanted to find out details of the Croatian Attorney`s Office requesting legal aid in Austria: on Croatian opened accounts in Austria and transactions, as well as suspicions of money laundering.

Zagorec`s attorney gave a written statement to journalists with which he wanted to argument the thesis that the arrest of his defendant was politically motivated and constructed, in which he especially accuses Croatian President Stjepan Mesic that the Zagorec case serves him to charge his political opponents, thus empower his position in Croatia. Dohr said in the statement that Mesic personally intervened with Austrian politicians that Zagorec is to be extradited to Croatia, during his recent visit to Austria.
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