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Former Defense Ministry Procurement Chief Arrested in Croatia
🇭🇷 Croatia /Crime & Justice

Former Defense Ministry Procurement Chief Arrested in Croatia

From Večernji List · () Croatian

Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A former head of public procurement at Croatia's Ministry of Defense, Ivica Devčić, was arrested on suspicion of favoritism.
  • Investigators suspect Devčić favored the company Design Vision in the procurement of military equipment, including boots and undergarments.
  • The Ministry of Defense had previously banned Design Vision from bidding on contracts due to suspected falsified references.

Ivica Devčić, former head of public procurement for Croatia's Ministry of Defense, has been arrested and brought to the USKOK offices in Zagreb. He is suspected of favoring the company Design Vision in the procurement of military equipment.

Investigators are focusing on the purchase of military boots for special forces, which were supplied by Design Vision. The company also provided other items like thermal undergarments, beanies, and berets to the Ministry of Defense.

Design Vision was founded in late 2016, and Devčić took over his procurement role in March 2017. The Minister of Defense, Ivan Anušić, confirmed that the Ministry had previously taken action against the company. Last year, Design Vision was banned from participating in Ministry of Defense tenders over suspicions of falsified references.

The owner of Design Vision, Alma Boch, is also among those arrested in the USKOK operation, which involves military police. Authorities are now working to determine if criminal liability exists in the procedures related to the military equipment procurement.

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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