Prime Minister Andrej Plenković addressed the public at Banski Dvory, responding to questions from journalists regarding the waste scandal in Lika. To coordinate the response to the crisis, the Prime Minister convened an emergency meeting of the Narrow Cabinet and the parliamentary majority via video link. The meeting was necessary due to the scandal involving the illegal dumping of large quantities of waste across multiple locations in the Lika-Senj County, including Gospić, Štikada, and Lički Osik.
The Prime Minister addressed the issue through three distinct levels: criminal, remedial, and political. The criminal level is handled by the State Attorney's Office (DORH) and the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK). USKPK initiated the investigation against Josip and Monika Šinček in 2025, and the case has gradually expanded to include new locations and additional individuals. The State Attorney's Office is dealing with criminal acts from the last five or six years, with the Prime Minister declining to enter into details of the criminal proceedings.
The remedial process, coordinated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is overseen by the Fund for the Protection of the Environment and Nature. This process was created following amendments to the waste management plan last year. Approximately 37,000 tonnes of waste have been brought in by ship, representing a significant logistical undertaking in the context of the remediation. The Prime Minister stressed that this is a technical and administrative measure requiring expert coordination.
The third level, which Plenković described as political or political-military, is characterised by the opposition's attempt to extract political points. He accused opposition parties of leading political reactions and spreading panic among the residents of Gospić and the wider Lika-Senj County through misinformation. According to him, the opposition uses the case solely for media attention, despite polls in recent weeks showing a change in public opinion trends.
When asked directly whether this was corruption, Plenković responded that he did not know and that the matter would be established only in the course of the investigation. This is not the first time the Prime Minister has commented on this issue; two days ago in Sinj, he also answered questions related to the waste scandal, confirming the continuity of communication on this sensitive issue.
