Sanja Sarnavka, the president of the Board of HRH Zagreb

In the letter addressed to the president Ivo Josipovic, Sanja Sarnavka, the president of the Board of HRH Zagreb, stated: “Since You have showed during Your political campaign and public appearance, a serious intention to support processes and encourage disclosure of corruption in Croatia, and since therefore, You were wholeheartedly supported by the general public of the Republic of Croatia, we want You to draw attention to the case that’s discussed about last ten years, and the position of the person who pointed out the corruption in the company, is still not resolved. Vesna Balenovic continually suffers economic, political and psychological violence.”

Mrs. Vesna Balenovic, once an expert in economic affairs and head of the project team of economists in the Office of the Executive Director for the Refining and Trade – INA, after twenty years of continuous service in the same company, with the personal neto income of 10,000.00 HRK (1,371.70 EUR), today lives as a subtenant, without any income. 

She and her husband and their two minor children lived the past ten years from the money obtained by selling their own apartment, cars and the entire movable and immovable property. To date, against her were raised seven separate court cases (all by the high ranking people in the government and administration of INA: Slavko Linic, then Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Supervisory Board of INA, as well as INA’s President of the Board, Tomislav Dragicevic) which resulted with 53 held hearings which Vesna Balenovic, had to attend being accused for slender and infliction of mental anguish. 

Tomislav Dragicevic requested unconditional prison fines, indicating the ecocide in Sisak, while at the same time the public constantly talked about  dangerous pollution of the city for life and health of its citizens. In addition, the court also concluded that INA is the biggest polluter and poisoner of Sisak-moslovacka County and is responsible for numerous deaths of citizens in Sisak. State Attorney Mladen Bajic, on the basis of criminal charges by Vesna Balenovic, which were filed in 2001, found INA guilty and proved the offense in year 2004. Nevertheless, Ms. Vesna Balenovic was not returned to her old job nor she was offered any job in INA.
  
Mrs. Vesna Balenović, despite the difficult situation in which she is for years now, still did not give up in the fight against corruption, so she officially established the association named Whistle blower in year 2008. From the first day of its establishment, she’s helping all those who unselfishly in their communities indicate corruption practices. She has helped in resolving the 43 cases of reported corruption, with only minimal financial support from the Government of the Republic of Croatia.

HRH Zagreb believes that every story about the criminal acts of corruption, will be unconvincing, if something is not urgently done in order to take action to solve the unenviable position of Mrs. Vesna Balenovic and her family, and the reason for the reaction of HRH Zagreb is also, another court hearing that is scheduled for  Vesna Balenovic, which is to be held at the Municipal Criminal Court on the 26th February 2010.

“We deeply believe that the continual persecution made by the powerful and rich people who have time and resources for judicial prosecution, must be stopped and that the justice must be achieved for the case of Mrs. Vesna Balenovic. Ms. Balenovic cannot support herself nor her children, from the reputation that she gained in the public nor from the moral support that she receives daily”, it is stated in the HRH Zagreb’s open letter.

“Solving the case of Balenovic, Josipovic will be able to prove the expressed will to fight systemic corruption in Croatia, in which, as he said in his campaign, there are no untouchables. His words “.. I want the new Croatia, just Croatia. New justice means new patriotism, and comeback of morality into politics … “, gives us hope in a serious approach to solving problems related to the case such as the one of Mrs. Vesna Balenovic”, concludes Sarnavka.

Documents:

  • Open Letter – Josipovic

    Open letter to the president of the Republic of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic, regarding the case of Vesna Balenovic (in Croatian).
  • Open Letter – Kosor

    Open letter to the Prime Minister, Jadranka Kosor, regarding the case of Vesna Balenovic (in Croatian).