THE CROATIAN GOLF SCAM, AGAIN (February 17, 2012)
Following the advice of the then commissioner for enlargement of the European Union, Olli Rehn, I reported in October 2009 what I knew about the Croatian golf scam to the highest Croatian authority dealing with corruption and organized crime. By the end of that year, I informed them of everything I knew about golf development in Motovun, Istria, Dalmatia, and the rest of the country. The golf scam went from the top of the then government all the way down to the regional and municipal levels. The prime minister himself was involved, and so were many of his ministers, including those dealing with environmental protection and preservation of cultural heritage. Since then, I have been in touch with the current commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Füle, as well. However, the highest Croatian authority concerned with corruption and organized crime has not yet moved a finger regarding the golf scam. Although they are apparently overwhelmed with the number of cases at their hands, and although golf development is in the doldrums after the onset of the global economic crisis in October 2008, they surely could have made a few decisive moves over more than two years. Had the golf scam taken hold, it would have involved more than four-billion euros invested in more than sixty golf courses, mainly in Istria and Dalmatia. Much of this investment involved money laundered by Croatian politicians. The only interpretation of the persistent neglect of the golf scam is that it is not entirely dead. In fact, it is only pushed into the background. And many of those involved in it are still at large. What does this say about corruption and organized crime in Croatia, now that it is already at the doorsteps of the Union?