Analyst: Illegal waste in Lika is systematic corruption, not individual failure

The ongoing scandal involving illegal and hazardous waste buried in Croatia's Lika region is not merely a result of individual mistakes, but a product of systematic favoritism towards organized crime and political irresponsibility, according to analyst Božo Kovačević.

Kovačević, who served as Croatia's first environment minister from 2000 to 2003, told Večernji TV that individuals within the system aided criminals in making vast profits while inflicting significant damage on Croatia. He described the scheme as "HDZ-Sopranov" – a term implying a corrupt alliance – where insiders enable illegal waste dumping and then profit again from lucrative cleanup contracts for the very waste they helped import.

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It is about people from the system helping criminals make huge profits and cause great damage to the Republic of Croatia.

He asserted that no one in the government hierarchy can escape responsibility. Kovačević pointed out that the Law on Waste Management allows the government to enact extraordinary measures when environmental dangers are detected. He noted that a parliamentary question about the Lika waste was raised two years ago, yet the government took no action.

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The Prime Minister directly protected organized crime that was taking place under the protection of HDZ within the structures of state, regional, and local government.

Kovačević further explained that permits for cross-border waste transport are issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, not the county. He criticized the ministry for failing to conduct administrative oversight when an inspectorate issued a permit to a company previously banned by the State Inspectorate. He also highlighted a 2019 amendment to the Waste Management Act, pushed by then-Minister Ćorić, which he claims eased border controls by removing the requirement for accompanying documents for certain waste shipments, potentially allowing dangerous materials to pass undetected.

"The Prime Minister directly protected organized crime operating under the guise of HDZ protection within state, regional, and local government structures," Kovačević claimed. He suggested that the ongoing criminal proceedings are being used as an excuse by state officials to avoid providing further information.

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The fact that criminal proceedings are now underway serves as an excuse for representatives of state bodies to not be able to provide some information.