Damir O. Rados

DRASTIC SHORTCOMINGS IN POLITICS AND JUDICIARY

The implementation of the operation “adoption” would not have been possible without involvement and participation of Croatian political and judicial institutions, and their serious shortcomings as it was discovered by a distant African nation.

The Zambian police was notified on 6 December about a few suspicious couples observed in company of small black children as they stayed at the inn in Ndoli, a Zambian town adjacent to the boundary with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The following day, at the Ndoli airport, the police arrested four Croatian couples accompanied by four “adopted” black children, aged between 1 and 3. Eight Croatians were detained under the suspicion of transporting these children with falsified adoption documents from DRCongo into Zambia, a behavior clearly defined as participation in trafficking of human beings. The children were immediately placed into protected custody by the Zambian institutions.

One month later, the Croatians still remained detained by the Zambian authorities while the entire episode has grown to become an affair which deeply compromises the Croatian judicial system, the system of its government administration as well as the Croatian political establishment. At the same time, the attempts to minimize the scandal and a connection between some suspects and the political-activist platform “We can” is open and ongoing.

PROHIBITED BY LAW

Among the arrested suspects is a trans-gender parliamentarian Noah Krajević, born as female Daniela Pintarić, who is a member of the “We can“ party. He was arrested with his partner Ivon, and Zoran Subošić who was accompanied by his wife Azra, a guitar player for the Hladno Pivo group, which has been labeled with its leader Milo Kekin, as the cover shield for the activist platform “We can”. Milo Kekin’s wife, Ivana Kekin is also a “We can” parliamentarian in the Croatian parliament. To establish the eventual connection between the suspects and the political personalities in this case is extremely important: the execution of the entire operation of “adoption” could not have been possible without participation of the Croatian institutions. Let us examine.

In the public forum in Croatia this case is being considered simply as another unsuccessful adoption which did not end well. However, the facts indicate very serious errors and/or intentional ill usage of the Croatian institutions.

The minister of Interior Davor Božinović confirmed that the children are originally from DRcongo, and that they have Croatian documents which were issued on the bases of action of “respective, responsible Croatian institutions”. An unanswered question remains as to how it is possible for four children from DR Congo, who never stepped on the Croatian soil, to obtain Croatian identification and travel documents under the rubric “Croatian adopters” despite the established fact that DRCongo law specifically by law prohibits adoptions by foreigners. Thus, this negates any possibility of Croatian couples legally adopting any child from DR Congo.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Zambia is a country abundant in natural beauty and great poverty. Of its total population of 19 million, 95% is Christian; 70% is Protestants, 20% is Catholics. The GDP per resident is $ 900 as compared to 17,680 for Croatia. 

An unanswered question is how did a trans-gender individual avoid Congo, Zambian and Croatian laws understanding that transgender individuals are not

allowed adoption of children either in Croatia or in Congo? Why is the Croatian

so called “free and unbiased press” omitting or distorting the truth, or simply fearing to report the truth? Which is the third institution involved in this unlawful, criminal business?

All of the described events became possible because the Croatian courts in Zlatar and Varaždin accepted falsified documents of adoption, and exclusively on those bases reached a positive decision to the “adopting parties”. They did so despite the fact that DRCongo is not a signatory of the Haag Convention which regulates the international adoption of children. Incidentally, DRCongo is a dictatorship plagued by chaos and all types of criminal activities including illegal trafficking of people. The courts acted without consulting with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.

NO CONFLICT?

Professor of family law, dr. Dubravka Hrabar, invoking the Family law, opines that the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare authorization to adopt is an absolute precondition necessary to adoption of children from a country who is not a signatory of the Hague Convention.

It is noted that all four couples arrested in Zambia had requested adoption in

Croatia towns other than their legal residences, specifically in the towns of Zlatar and Varaždin. The county judge in Zlatar, Alexandra Leljak, rendered a positive adoption for three of the four couples arrested in Zambia.She responded to the open debate that she acted according to law and that there is nothing unusual about three of the four adopters being from Zagreb. On the bases of such decision, the Ministry of Interior issued the Croatian documents for the children from DRCongo without questioning a single conflicting issue:how can a child from DRCongo be legally adopted in Croatia....or anywhere outside DRCongo?

The reaction of The President of the Superior Court Radoslav Dobronić was announced three weeks after the arrest of Croatian citizens in Zambia. Following the “inspection of the court decisions”, he determined that the court decisions from Zlatar and Varaždin were correct since they automatically recognized the court decisions of the DRCongo.

The following day, he issued a formal apology indiating he had confused the statues of two different countries, namely DRCongo and Congo (which IS a signatory to the Haag Convention). In any responsible country, the minister’s resignation would be submitted the following day. However, Radoslav Dobronić is silent! Tomislav Tomašević is silent! Ivana Kekin is silent.......

TO HIDE AND TO MARGINALIZE

Despite all efforts and attempts to hide and to marginalize these transgressions, eight Croatian citizens are still arrested in Zambia facing extremely serious charges of people trafficking. If during the past few years 180 other DRCongo children were adopted following the same above described interpretations of the law, the conclusion might lead to an organized trafficking of people with clear detrimental implication for the Croatian high institutions. Had among the arrested been a HDZ parliamentarian or an associate of the DP parliamentarian, or.....had the Plenkovic’s candidate for President of the Supreme Court mixed up the ID of two Congo countries…….all of them would by now be submitting their resignations. It would also be known who are – if any- the judges who illegally approve falsified documents, and how they are – if they are-connected to political parties.

Well, fortunately enough, there is Zambia: 

to shed light on the potential criminal!