Croatia’s Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK) has announced a high-profile operation involving arrests and urgent evidence collection. One of the detained individuals is Health Minister Vili Beroš, who was promptly dismissed by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković amid accusations of corruption.
In a statement from the Croatian government, it was confirmed that State Secretary Irena Hrstić will temporarily take over leadership of the Health Ministry until a new minister is appointed.
USKOK conducted simultaneous actions in Zagreb and Skradin, targeting multiple individuals suspected of engaging in corrupt practices. According to reports, investigators entered Beroš’s home early in the morning. The minister, affiliated with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), is suspected of irregularities involving the procurement of dual microscopes for neurosurgery, which were allegedly purchased at inflated prices.
Sources also indicate that the head of the Neurosurgery Clinic at KB “Sisters of Charity,” Krešimir Rotim, may be among those arrested.
Immediate Political Reactions
Prime Minister Plenković has called an urgent meeting with coalition partners, scheduled for 10 a.m., after which he is expected to address the media. This incident marks the second time a minister in Plenković’s administration has been arrested while in office. In 2022, former Minister Darko Horvat was apprehended over allegations of illegal distribution of state subsidies. That investigation also implicated then-Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milošević and several other officials.
