PRESS RELEASE

Regarding malicious and incorrect allegations about unlawful dismissal of Damir Sabljak from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the ministry has to state the following...

Regarding malicious and incorrect allegations about unlawful dismissal of Damir Sabljak from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the ministry has to state the following:

In October 2017, Sabljak filed a report with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić, alleging irregularities in the ministry’s work. At the same time, he filed criminal charges against an unidentified perpetrator with the state attorney’s office and informed a number of other institutions about the case.

Said reports refer to the 2014-2016 period, when the ministry was run by previous ministers. Sabljak was the ministry’s secretary-general in 2016 and had knowledge about the things reported. Had he considered it necessary and founded, he had the duty and authority to report the things he alleges, but obviously failed to do so.

The minister, acting on Sabljak’s report, immediately ordered an internal inspection of whose findings Sabljak and the state attorney’s office were notified in a timely fashion. Since then, the ministry has acted based on requests by the state attorney’s office and relevant parliamentary bodies.

Sabljak, however, without waiting for the state attorney’s decision, continued going public with unfounded accusations in 2018, which is why in July proceedings were launched against him for a grave breach of duty.

In September 2018, the state attorney’s office dismissed Sabljak’s charges and notified him accordingly. Despite that, Sabljak continued going public with incorrect and unfounded information, including unauthorised disclosure of official ministry documents, harming the ministry and breaching a number of regulations, which was why on 4 October he was dismissed from diplomatic service.

The above stated facts make it clear that Sabljak was not fired for filing charges on alleged corruption and criminal activities.

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