Vinko Zulim’s trial: He only invited ‘his own’ to lunch, the opposition’s questions were not included in the minutes…

– We had sessions once every two months, and after a while Zulim stopped coming to them. The most recent were the director of Sorić and secretary Anđelka Sučić. None of us had any additional activities that were not recorded anywhere. I never went to those lunches and dinners, we from the opposition were never invited either verbally or in writing – he said.

Vukman told the court that they all came in by name in the place.

– It quickly spread that Zulim, his people and sympathizers were going to those lunches and dinners, but it would be frivolous to repeat the rumors – he said.

The prosecutor was interested in whether she knew what was discussed at those meals.

– I honestly have no knowledge – he said.

Zulim’s defense was interested in whether they, as opposition representatives, had ever discussed this among themselves.

– We talked about how we are not called anywhere again. Just to mention, we would never go with such a person – said Vukman.

The defense attorney asked to clarify what he meant by “such a person”.

– A person with whom I do not share any worldview characteristics. I have nothing to do with him. I approach people individually, and I’m even okay with some of Zulim’s people – he explained.

Vukman also said that several times during the sessions they raised the issue of the growing expenses of the national team and other expenses that were suspicious to them.

– As far as I remember, those questions of ours were not entered into the minutes, and they would have been answered briefly by the leader of Sori. The others did not give them importance. At the end of the session, we do not sign the minutes, but they are voted on at the next session. We often remained restrained because our questions would not be in the minutes – he said.

The defense insisted on the question of whether he knew whether the reason for their restraint had ever entered the record and whether they had ever proposed it as a separate point, but Vukman could not remember due to the passage of time.

His fellow opposition member Hrvoje Ševo, who has been a councilor since 2013, testified next.

– The records were kept by Anđelka Sučić, and we did not have any activities that were not recorded. The opposition councilors were never invited to those lunches and dinners, nor after the ceremonial sessions. After the meeting, we would all go home, and at that moment we didn’t even know that they were going to a restaurant after the meeting. We would find out later, and I saw them a couple of times in two restaurants – said Ševo.

The defense also asked him about the minutes.

– We received a report on the execution of the budget and noticed the growing costs of representation. We commented on it in the discussions, I don’t know if Anđelka entered it in the minutes. We warned several times that part of our questions or presentations were missing from the minutes, but before that was not so much entered into the minutes. There were also remarks, but I don’t even know if they were entered – he said.

The defense was interested in whether there was any written evidence that they had questioned the costs and the minutes.

– I can’t remember that the opposition would have ever written on the record to question the costs, we certainly did orally. I asked several times to enter what was missing in the record, but I don’t remember if it was entered. You must know that there are more of them and they would always outvote us – he explained.

Ševo, like other opposition representatives, was not in any committee.

– The municipality of Seget has five committees that were filled with 25 of Zulim’s people. We asked for the minutes from the Committee sessions, but we never received them. I don’t remember that we ever submitted in writing at the council session that those minutes should not be delivered to us despite the fact that by requests – he said.

He was also asked by the defense if he would ever go to lunch, given that he cooperates in politics regardless of the parties.

– I would, why not – he concluded.

Details of the indictment

Numerous accounts were from the Frenki restaurant, then Barba Bora, then at the Tomislav restaurant, then Astoria… According to the accounts seized by USKOK’s investigators, on November 15, 2017, representatives of the municipality met with the Social Committee at Barba Bora, on November 21, 2017, with the Commission for Statutes and Rules of Procedure. On November 22 with the Finance Committee, on November 27 again with the Finance Committee, on November 28, 2017, representatives of the municipality were with the members of the committee for Zagora in a restaurant in Boraja.

The company tasted food at Frenki restaurant 28 times, and Barba Bora 27 times. In Seget Vranjica in Astoria, the municipality paid for the food on 25 occasions, the restaurant Tomislav in Boraja turned out four bills, and in Boraja we ate eight times. They were once in Joke in Seget Donji and Torcida in Šibenik.

There was everything on the menu, but the most popular were shrimp in various ways. Squid, champignons, oysters called Frenki, groupers, octopus, scallops, gof on žar, battered fish, black risotto were also eaten, but there was also meat, lamb, Zagreb steaks…
Along with good food, you should also drink something, and Zulim and his company mostly enjoyed wines. Sometimes they would treat themselves to dessert, such as pancakes or tiramisu.