Prime Minister Croatia On Tuesday, Andrej Plenković called a meeting of the heads of the parties of the ruling coalition because of the illegal case waste disposal in several locations in Lika, and increasing pressure from the public.
Plenković then, after the meeting, stated that the case is being resolved at the criminal-legal, remedial and political level and pointed out that according to the measurements of the Croatian Institute for Public Health, the drinking water in Lika is not endangered.
He added that he demands to speed up the activities on remediation and determination of responsibility.
The case for which the meeting of the Cabinet of the Government and representatives of the parliamentary majority was held refers to the illegal disposal of large amounts of waste at several locations in Lika, including Gospić, Štikada and Lički Osik.
Last year, the Croatian Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (Uskok) launched an investigation against Josip and Monika Šincek and other suspects, and the case has since spread to new locations and other persons.
Plenkovic spoke about the affair a few days ago in Sinj. When asked how it was possible that no one noticed the trucks that brought about 37.000 tons of waste to Gospić and whether it was corruption, he replied that everything will be determined during the investigation.
Plenković said that the criminal proceedings are being conducted by the State Prosecutor's Office and Uskok, and the period they are dealing with is the past five to six years, adding that due to the investigation, he cannot talk about the details.
He stated that the Environmental Protection Fund is responsible for rehabilitation, while the procedure is coordinated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition.
Plenković accused the opposition of using the case to score political points and spread, as he said, misinformation and panic among the residents of Gospić and Ličko-Senj counties.
Sharp reactions and political crisis
President of Croatia Zoran Milanovic he called the case an ecocide and demanded immediate rehabilitation and punishment of those responsible.
"The government of Croatia can no longer justify itself with procedures and public tenders, because people's health is clearly at risk and there is a threat of permanent pollution of the space," said Milanović.
He stated that too much time has passed since it was discovered that "Lika's land" is being poisoned by hazardous waste from the countries of the European Union and that the public good is being used for private interests and profit. Milanović noted that "all this, it seems, happened with the help of the now deposed chief state inspector".
The Croatian opposition also increased the pressure on the Government. The most influential among them, the Social Democratic Party, announced the initiation of the procedure for impeachment of the Government, while "Most" announced that it would ask the parliamentary clubs to jointly launch a vote of no confidence in the Government and convene an extraordinary session of the Parliament.
And the ruling Homeland Movement, a coalition partner of the Plenković Government, proposed declaring an ecological disaster in Lika.
The President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Protection of the Environment and Nature, Dušica Radojčić, scheduled an extraordinary meeting of the Committee in Gospić, dedicated to this case.
Source: Hina/Index/Jutarnji list
Only in August: Save three thousand dinars on the annual subscription to the digital edition of "Vremena"! Take advantage of the discount here and support independent journalism.
