Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković addressed the public at the Banski Dvori, answering journalists' questions regarding the waste scandal in Lika. To coordinate the response to the crisis, the prime minister convened an emergency meeting of the Narrow Cabinet of the Government and the parliamentary majority via video link. The meeting was necessary due to the scandal involving the illegal dumping of vast quantities of waste at multiple locations in the Lika-Senj County, including Gospić, Štikada and Lički Osik.
The prime minister addressed the issue through three clearly distinct levels: criminal, remedial and political. The criminal level is being handled by the State Attorney's Office (DORH) and the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK). USKOK launched the investigation against Josip and Monika Šincek and other suspects in 2025, with the case gradually expanding to new locations and additional individuals. DORH is dealing with criminal acts from the last five or six years, with Plenković declining to delve into the details of the criminal proceedings.
The remedial process, coordinated by the Ministry of Environmental and Energy Development, is overseen by the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund. This process was established following amendments to the Waste Management Plan last year. Approximately 37,000 tonnes of waste have been brought to Gospić by truck, representing a significant logistical undertaking within the remediation efforts. The prime minister emphasised that this is a technical and administrative measure requiring expert coordination.
The third level, which Plenković described as political or political posturing, was characterised by him as a space where the opposition seeks to score political points. He accused opposition parties of leading political reactions and spreading panic among the residents of Gospić and the entire Lika-Senj County through disinformation. According to him, the opposition uses the case solely for media attention, despite polls in recent weeks showing a shift in public opinion trends.
When asked directly by journalists whether this was a case of corruption, Plenković replied that he did not know and that this fact would be established solely during the investigation. This is not the first time the prime minister has commented on this topic; two days ago in Sinj, he also answered questions related to the waste scandal, confirming continuity in communication on this sensitive issue.
