Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has dismissed Health Minister Vili Beros following his arrest on suspicion of corruption as part of an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). 

The case has sparked calls for the government’s resignation, following a series of other sackings and resignations from governments led by Plenkovic’s ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in recent years. 

“This morning, former Minister Vili Beros and two other individuals were arrested as part of an operation conducted by anticorruption officials,” Plenkovic announced at a press conference on November 15, a government statement said.  

The investigation centres on allegations that Beros and other officials accepted bribes, manipulated public procurement processes, and abused their positions to secure inflated contracts for medical equipment.

The EPPO said in a statement it is investigating eight individuals, including Beros and the directors of two hospitals in Zagreb, along with two companies. 

The suspects are accused of orchestrating a scheme to secure lucrative contracts for medical robotic devices at inflated prices between June 2022 and November 2024. The devices were procured for hospitals under Croatia’s EU-funded National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Prosecutors allege the group offered bribes to public health stakeholders to manipulate procurement processes, excluding competition to favour targeted companies. One bribe was rejected in Split, but in Zagreb, the alleged scheme succeeded, with funds approved for overpriced equipment. The inflated costs reportedly resulted in a loss of €614,000 to Croatia’s national budget, the EPPO said. 

Plenkovic condemned the alleged misconduct. “I am disgusted by the idea that anyone in the healthcare system uses their position for personal enrichment or favours,” he said, according to a government statement. 

He affirmed the government’s commitment to cooperate fully with investigators, adding, “We have never, nor will we ever, protect anyone from criminal prosecution if there is suspicion of committing criminal acts.”

Until a new health minister is appointed, state secretary Dr. Irena Hrstić will lead the ministry of health.

The main opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) seized on the scandal to call for the government’s resignation, ahead of the December presidential election. 

“This is not just about Beros; it’s about a systemic problem,” said SDP vice-president Misel Jaksic, accusing the government of fostering an environment where “someone is getting enormously rich from others’ suffering”.

Mirela Ahmetovic, another senior SDP official, criticised the delayed response to Beros’s alleged misconduct, according to a party statement. “For years, we warned about his affairs, but nothing was done. Without the EPPO, this arrest might never have happened,” she said.

Beros, who served as health minister since 2020, is the latest in a string of officials from Plenkovic’s HDZ party to face corruption allegations. Despite repeated scandals, the HDZ has retained power since 2016. 

It was first placed in the general election in April 2024, but without a large enough share of the vote to rule alone. The current government is backed by the rightwing Homeland Movement as its junior partner. 

The upcoming presidential election will see incumbent President Zoran Milanovic, backed by the SDP, running against the HDZ’s candidate Dragan Primorac.