Since 2018, the Green Squad has been systematically exposing the organized devastation of state forests in Croatia and unlawful operations within the state-owned company Hrvatske šume d.o.o.
By 2023, six extensive and well-documented complaints were submitted to the State Attorney’s Office, comprising 867 pages and 192 annexes, clearly demonstrating illegal activities, multimillion-euro damage, and links between Hrvatske šume and state institutions that provided them with protection.
Despite this, on 26 August 2025, the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime dismissed all complaints as unfounded in a single decision.
This scandalous document is filled with inaccurate statements, arbitrary conclusions, illogical analyses, and outright falsehoods, serving not to establish the truth but to protect Hrvatske šume d.o.o.
This case exposes the scandalous fact that an institution tasked with combating corruption is protecting those it should be prosecuting.
The case has been reported to the competent institutions in Croatia and at the European Union level, and the public has been informed.
The full press release of 18 March 2026 is provided in its entirety:
„How USKOK Became a Branch Office of Hrvatske šume d.o.o.
The VIDRA Association / Green Squad warns the public of a scandal that seriously compromises the Croatian judicial system and raises questions about its true independence. This is a case that was uncovered entirely by chance—through a review of the e-status of court proceedings in a criminal complaint filed by Hrvatske šume d.o.o. against the President of the Association and Head of the Green Squad, Vesna Grgić.
Without any official notification, Vesna Grgić recently discovered that an additional submission by Hrvatske šume d.o.o. had been inserted into the court file—a key document in this case: the scandalous Decision of the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK) dated 26 August 2025.
With this Decision, USKOK, in a single move, dismisses all reports, information, and criminal complaints submitted by the Green Squad against Hrvatske šume from 2018 to the present. In doing so, years of documented work exposing illegal activities and corruption are erased, while at the same time creating a pre-prepared “piece of evidence” by which Hrvatske šume seeks to secure victory in court proceedings against Vesna Grgić.
Even more scandalous is the fact that Vesna Grgić was never officially informed of the existence of this Decision. The document was not served to her, nor was she given the opportunity to respond to it, even though it is being used directly against her. Moreover, the Decision itself indicates that its delivery to her was not even предусмотрено, but exclusively to Hrvatske šume d.o.o. Despite this, the document was subsequently inserted into the court file—without the knowledge of the opposing party and without basic procedural safeguards.
An analysis of the content of the Decision further deepens doubts regarding its legality and purpose: it is a document filled with inaccurate statements, arbitrary and superficial conclusions, unprofessional and illogical analyses, omission of key facts, and even blatant falsehoods. All of this indicates that the Decision was not adopted for the purpose of establishing the truth, but rather as a pre-prepared tool which, by invoking the authority of the institution and the signature of a high-ranking official, seeks to legitimize the actions of Hrvatske šume.
Given the manner in which the document was “discovered,” its content, and its evident function in court proceedings, a justified question arises—has the judiciary become an instrument in the hands of a state-owned company?
This case points to the scandalous fact that an institution tasked with combating corruption and organized crime is, through its actions, protecting precisely those structures whose illegal activities and corruption have been systematically documented over years of work by the Green Squad.
At the same time, Hrvatske šume d.o.o. continue legal proceedings against Vesna Grgić, further confirming a pattern of systematic pressure, intimidation, and attempts to discredit her work.
The VIDRA Association / Green Squad therefore publicly demands:
- an urgent statement from the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime regarding the manner in which the Decision was adopted and its content,
- the initiation of an independent investigation into the conduct of the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia in this case,
- a statement from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia regarding possible violations of law and procedural rights,
- accountability of all officials involved in drafting and disseminating the disputed document,
- protection of Vesna Grgić’s rights as a party to the proceedings and the guarantee of a fair trial.
If the competent institutions fail to provide clear and concrete answers, the Association announces that it will initiate proceedings before international bodies and institutions of the European Union.
The consequences of such conduct by the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime are serious and far-reaching—not only for Vesna Grgić personally, but also for public trust in the judicial system, the rule of law, and the functioning of the state itself.
The VIDRA Association / Green Squad states that it will continue to systematically inform both the national and international public about this case, with full documentation, and will persist in establishing the full truth and accountability.“
