Nomination of Ivan Turudić for State Attorney General is Plenković’s most dangerous attack on independent institutions

Following the Croatian Government’s proposal to the Croatian Parliament to elect High Criminal Court judge Ivan Turudić for the post of State Attorney General, worst fears were realised that the election of the new State Attorney General was a part of a plan to put also the State Attorney’s Office (DORH) under the full political control of the incumbent Government, that is, Andrej Plenković. Contrary to the constitutional definition of DORH as an autonomous and independent judicial institution, Ivan Turudić’s appointment to that post will constitute the political enslavement of DORH, aimed at instrumentalising it to the benefit of the incumbent Government and to the detriment of legality, justice and equity.

The nominated candidate, Ivan Turudić, does not meet the minimum criteria, which in a democratic society are required for the post. Ivan Turudić is not politically independent, he is not ethical and does not enjoy the professional reputation necessary to serve as the State Attorney General. On the contrary, he is the only Croatian judge who publicly and unequivocally declares his closeness with and support to the HDZ, which compromises him and gives rise to serious suspicion regarding his autonomy and the autonomy of DORH. Turudić is a judge who, because of his suspect connections and ties to persons from the criminal milieu, should have been removed from the judicial profession long ago, instead of being proposed to lead the institution whose priority is the fight against corruption and crime.

It is now clear that Andrej Plenković does not want an autonomous, independent DORH. He does not want the investigation and prosecution of crime and corruption. On the contrary, he intends to prevent any investigation into the political clique he is surrounded by and closely connected with. With the amendments to the Penal Code, which aim to prevent the disclosure of the content of investigative or evidence collection processes, Andrej Plenković had only prepared the legal ground to install Ivan Turudić at DORH. With Lex AP, he has given Turudić a free hand in intimidating reporters and prosecuting all those who attempt to uncover the truth about the favouritism, corruption and criminal activities of Plenković and his associates. Ivan Turudić as the State Attorney General and Lex AP are an ominous package Plenković is giving Croatia ahead of the parliamentary elections, with the aim of preventing and stopping any investigation that could jeopardise his personal and political interests.

This is not the first attempt to enslave state institutions. Andrej Plenković has unfortunately been successful in that activity, which is harmful to Croatia. He tried to do the same by planning a constitutional attack on the Military Security and Intelligence Agency (VSOA) last year, when, acting contrary to the Constitution and the relevant law and bypassing the President of the Republic, he tried to subordinate VSOA exclusively to himself, but was prevented. Ivan Turudić’s nomination as the State Attorney General is without any doubt Plenković’s most dangerous attack on independent institutions in his campaign to take over state institutions. That attack must not be tolerated. Croatian citizens must be aware of this, and anyone acting as an accessory in this will have to assume responsibility for the lasting damage this appointment will cause Croatia.