October 16 (SeeNews) - Ivica Todoric, owner of Croatia's ailing concern Agrokor, confirmed on Monday that police have entered his Zagreb residence early in the morning.
Police have also conducted searches of houses of Todoric's close associates, he said in a post on his personal blog.
"It was unexpected, because law enforcement authorities will not find any criminal offenses in Agrokor", Todoric wrote, adding that an attack has has been launched against him and "people who, I assure you, are not guilty".
Croatian news agency Hina reported earlier on Monday that three police vehicles have arrived at Todoric's Kulmerovi Dvori manor house shortly before 6 am. At the same time, police visited the house of Ivan Crnjac, a former financial executive at Agrokor, whose attorney has since confirmed he has been arrested.
Also on Monday, the Chief State Prosecutor's Office (DORH) said that, following many media enquiries, it is disclosing that a preliminary investigation of suspected white-collar crime and counterfeiting was underway. DORH did not disclose the name of the company under investigation, but noted that 15 persons were currently being searched on warrants issued by an investigating judge.
Todoric referred to the situation as a "political trial".
"Had they found a single euro of misappropriated and embezzled money, I would already be in jail. But this simply isn't true", he noted in his blog.
Todoric announced that his team of Croatian and foreign lawyers are currently preparing his defence and that lawsuits will be filed over the next couple of days with the aim of bringing to justice "all those who, through criminal activity and an unconstitutional law, have created a front for the biggest robbery of private property in modern Europe".
"My human rights have been heavily violated," Todoric said, adding he will continue to fight against "the unlawful and unconstitutional actions" employed by prime minister Plenkovic, interior minister Bozinovic, economy minister Dalic, Agorkor receiver Ramljak and his team in the food-to-retail concern.
In April, the parliament adopted a law allowing the government to appoint temporary administrators in companies of systemic importance to lead a restructuring process at the request of the companies' creditors or the debtors themselves. Todoric was stripped of his managerial rights under the law popularly known as Lex Agrokor but remains owner of the indebted concern.
Last week, the parliament gave the green light to the formation of a nine-member committee which will have six months to look into Agrokor's financial problems. Todoric confirmed on Monday that he will gladly answer to the committee, in front of which he is expected to appear on November 3.