Puljak: Inspectorate Became a Tool to Protect the Loyal and Attack Dissenters
Former Split Mayor Accuses PM Plenković and Inspectorate Chief, Revealing He Personally Paid €15,000 Fine for 'Protecting the Public Interest'
Former Split Mayor Accuses PM Plenković and Inspectorate Chief, Revealing He Personally Paid €15,000 Fine for 'Protecting the Public Interest'
Former Split Mayor Ivica Puljak fiercely criticized the ruling party and the State Inspectorate on August 9, 2026, accusing them of turning the institution into a means to protect the loyal and attack political dissenters. The trigger for his reaction was the waste scandal in Lika, which he claims is just "the tip of the iceberg."
"I watch what's happening in Lika with the waste and I feel only sadness and anger. Sadness for the destroyed nature, and anger because we all could have predicted this. We all know how the HDZ system works," Puljak said.
He specifically targeted Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, whom he holds responsible for appointing Andrija Mikulić as head of the State Inspectorate. "And don't let Andrej Plenković make fools of us with his story that he 'knew nothing.' 'Poor, honest' Andrej deliberately put Andrija Mikulić in charge of the Inspectorate. He knew exactly who he was and how he operates," Puljak asserted.
As an illustration of double standards, the former mayor described his own experience while leading Split. According to him, the Inspectorate showed remarkable efficiency as soon as it was tasked with fining him personally. "Andrija Mikulić personally flew to Split to oversee my case. The outcome? I personally paid a €15,000 fine because I was protecting the public interest and city money," Puljak stated.
Another example he highlighted concerns the air pollution issue in Split's Brda neighborhood. Puljak claims the Inspectorate withheld documents related to a company he says is close to the HDZ, and they were only handed over to the City of Split after a court order. "The entire top echelon of Split and Dalmatia's HDZ knew what was happening and silently supported it. They only reacted when they had nowhere left to run," he emphasized.
Despite the harsh accusations against the system, Puljak distinguished honest Inspectorate employees from the political leadership. "Hats off to the honest inspectors who try to do their job conscientiously within that system, but the HDZ's political octopus has them tied hand and foot," he wrote.
He concluded by saying that "a system like this cannot be fixed with cosmetic changes, but only by completely dismantling the HDZ model at the elections."
