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Croatian MP Questions Minister on Sports Fund Spending Amid Arrests
🇭🇷 Croatia /Elections & Politics

Croatian MP Questions Minister on Sports Fund Spending Amid Arrests

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Centar party leader Marijana Puljak criticizes the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, for not responding to requests for financial reports on sports spending.
  • Puljak alleges that public money in sports is not being transparently managed and calls for greater oversight beyond the anti-corruption agency USKOK.
  • The criticism follows recent arrests related to the Olympic program director of the Croatian Olympic Committee.

Marijana Puljak, leader of the Centar party and a member of parliament, has directly challenged the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Tonči Glavina, regarding the handling of public funds in sports. Puljak stated that Glavina has remained silent for 107 days on how public money is being spent within the sports sector.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina has been silent for 107 days about how public money is spent in sports.

— Marijana PuljakCriticism of the minister's lack of response regarding sports funding.

Puljak claims she requested financial reports from all sports federations for the past decade on April 7. According to parliamentary procedure, a response is due within 30 days, but the ministry has exceeded this deadline by over two months. She pointed out the irony that while the minister withholds documents, the police are reportedly searching offices and homes for them.

Minister, where is the money?

— Marijana PuljakDirect question to the minister about the whereabouts of public funds.

"Minister, where is the money?" Puljak demanded, linking the lack of transparency to recent arrests, including that of Damir Šegota, director of the Olympic program at the Croatian Olympic Committee. She argued that if the sports financing system were transparent and the ministry adequately supervised spending, such information would not emerge from search warrants and arrests.

USKOK must not be the only form of oversight for the spending of public money. Public money is not the private treasury of sports power brokers, and the minister's silence is no longer an administrative oversight. After this morning's arrests, it is a serious political problem.

— Marijana PuljakStatement on the need for broader oversight beyond the anti-corruption agency.

Puljak insists that the Ministry must actively control the financing of sports federations, publish relevant data, and be accountable to the Croatian Parliament. She reiterated her demand for Minister Glavina to urgently provide all requested documents and explain the delay in responding to her parliamentary inquiry. She also seeks clarification on the ministry's oversight of the Croatian Olympic Committee and sports federations, including any irregularities found and actions taken.

The Ministry must control the financing of sports federations, publish data, and be accountable to the Croatian Parliament.

— Marijana PuljakDemands for increased transparency and accountability in sports funding.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Večernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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