Having written to Croatian president Stjepan Mesić earlier today that I have learned from sources close to the highest officials of the Croatian government that a British investor in tourist development in Istria and Dalmatia is only a front for money laundering by highest government officials in this country, I can rest for the day. The second plank of my defense in court against alleged libel is now in place. Together with my proposal for a municipal inquiry into winners and losers in land development in Motovun, my proposal for a presidential inquiry into money laundering in connection with tourist development across the land, including golf development in Motovun, seals my case. Ah, I can already see their ashen faces in court…

Addendum I (October 21, 2009)

As I have not heard from president Mesić in spite of a heartfelt reminder sent a month later, I have started forwarding the letter and the reminder to various offices of the European Union. All my letters end with a plea for a proper contact regarding the alleged fraud. Today I wrote to the Union’s representative for enlargement, Olli Rehn, as well as a few of his deputies who deal with Croatia. Although I cannot expect much from them, either, I remain as hopeful as ever. Sooner or later, my letters will hit the right office. And the ashen faces will be my just reward in court.

Addendum II (October 24, 2009)

A few hours after I wrote to Olli Rehn, I also wrote to Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a leader of the European Greens in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. And a day later, on October 22, I received a letter from president Mesić’s office thanking me for my letter of August 30 and promising that it will be considered with due attention. A coincidence? I very much doubt it. Although neither Rehn nor Cohn-Bendit’s offices responded to my letters, they must have contacted the president’s office. In short, the European Union is the way to go. In spite of all its failings, of which there are too many to mention in passing, it still has a firm hold on poor old Croatia. God bless the Union!

Addendum III (April 18, 2010)

Olli Rehn’s office did respond a couple of days later, and I have been in touch with several people from the office ever since. The most important thing they advised me to do in their first missive was to send our correspondence, including the letter to president Mesić, to the highest office in Croatia dealing with corruption and organized crime. And this is what I did after a minute or two of hesitation. A few days later I went to this office, too. The rest is history, as the hackneyed expression goes. But now I am in contact with Stefan Füle, who replaced Olli Rehn as the Union’s representative for enlargement. Just as his predecessor, he is most concerned with corruption and organized crime in Croatia. For better or worse, it remains one of the most important stumbling blocks for the country’s entry into the Union. With some luck, we may put a dent or two into it.