Miroslav Kutle
Encyclopedia
Miroslav Kutle is a Herzegovinian Croat entrepreneur
. He became notorious for his involvement in the Croatian privatization controversy
and was since sentenced to jail time for embezzlement on two occasions.
) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
He attended school and the University of Zagreb
, where he graduated at the Faculty of Law in 1982.
During the 1990s, Kutle's business empire expanded to include the companies Jadrantekstil, Slobodna Dalmacija
, Radio Dalmacija, TV Marjan
, Kastelanska Rivijera, Dalma
and Splitska banka.
. Previously State-owned and run businesses were privatized, in what has become a controversial process
. The relationship between Kutle, the then President Franjo Tudjman, the ruling HDZ party and the non-transparency of the transactions has come under scrutiny in the Croatian courts a number of times since 2000.
In 1999, the Croatian Privatization Fund confiscated the companies Diona, Jadrantekstil and Koteks, while Tisak and Slobodna Dalmacija
were removed by court decisions.
In 2000, following the death of Tudjman, a new coalition government took over and started investigating corruption in the previous administration. Miroslav Kutle was arrested, and accused of several felonies in his financial dealings. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for his role in the embezzlement of Tisak. In 2004, the conviction was reversed by the Zagreb County Court.
In June 2009, Kutle was again jailed by the first-instance court in Zagreb for a period of three years, for his involvement in the mismanagement of another company that had just been privatized, "Gradski podrum", in 1992.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He became notorious for his involvement in the Croatian privatization controversy
Croatian privatization controversy
The Croatian privatization controversy is a common name used to describe matters associated with the criminal activity which plunged the Republic of Croatia into an economic depression immediately after its creation.- Events :...
and was since sentenced to jail time for embezzlement on two occasions.
Education
Kutle was born in Lištica, (today Široki BrijegŠiroki Brijeg
-Name:The name of the city means "the wide hill" in Croatian . The city is also sometime referred to as "Široki Brig" and among the inhabitants of Herzegovina simply as "Široki" . Between 1945 and 1990, the name was officially Lištica, after the river that flows through it.-Geography:The river...
) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.
He attended school and the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
, where he graduated at the Faculty of Law in 1982.
Business empire
In 1989 he founded UTP Globus, and in 1992 Globus Holdings, later to become Globus Group d.o.o. (Globus Grupa). In 1992, he was voted Manager of the Year (Small Businesses) by CROMA, The Croatian Managers AssociationDuring the 1990s, Kutle's business empire expanded to include the companies Jadrantekstil, Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans in a cave on Mosor, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various...
, Radio Dalmacija, TV Marjan
TV Marjan
TV Marjan is now defunct Croatian commercial TV station from Split, which had the distinction of being the first private television station in former Yugoslavia....
, Kastelanska Rivijera, Dalma
Dâlma
Dâlma may refer to several villages in Romania:* Dâlma, a village in Scorţoasa Commune, Buzău County, Romania* Dâlma, a village in Bala, Mehedinţi, Romania* Dalma , an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates...
and Splitska banka.
Privatization and controversy
The rapid expansion of Kutle's business empire took place during the years following the independence of the new Republic of CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Previously State-owned and run businesses were privatized, in what has become a controversial process
Croatian privatization controversy
The Croatian privatization controversy is a common name used to describe matters associated with the criminal activity which plunged the Republic of Croatia into an economic depression immediately after its creation.- Events :...
. The relationship between Kutle, the then President Franjo Tudjman, the ruling HDZ party and the non-transparency of the transactions has come under scrutiny in the Croatian courts a number of times since 2000.
In 1999, the Croatian Privatization Fund confiscated the companies Diona, Jadrantekstil and Koteks, while Tisak and Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija
Slobodna Dalmacija is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans in a cave on Mosor, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various...
were removed by court decisions.
In 2000, following the death of Tudjman, a new coalition government took over and started investigating corruption in the previous administration. Miroslav Kutle was arrested, and accused of several felonies in his financial dealings. He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for his role in the embezzlement of Tisak. In 2004, the conviction was reversed by the Zagreb County Court.
In June 2009, Kutle was again jailed by the first-instance court in Zagreb for a period of three years, for his involvement in the mismanagement of another company that had just been privatized, "Gradski podrum", in 1992.