Photo illustration: EPA/SASCHA STEINBACH.
The Croatian and Serbian authorities are remaining tight-lipped over the arrest last week of a Serbian businessman named as Georgije V., 33, on suspicion of hacking into the computer systems of various Croatian state institutions and public agencies.
The Serbian man is reportedly suspected of hacking into the Croatian Interior Ministry, the Central Register of Pension-Insured Persons, the Croatian Health Insurance Fund, the Croatian Regulatory Agency for Network Activities, the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, the Croatian Tax Administration and the Croatian Automobile Club.
Tomo Medved, the Minister of Croatian Veterans, was asked about the case on Friday but declined to provide details.
“I would like to commend the entire security and intelligence system for its responsible and vigilant monitoring and protection of the interests of the Republic of Croatia. Given the ongoing proceedings, I cannot comment further than that,” Medved told journalists.
Croatian daily Jutarnji list has reported that the arrest took place on July 28, when Georgije V. was on holiday in Croatia. He had arrived with his wife, two children and mother at a tourist resort on the Adriatic coast a few days earlier.
Following his arrest, police searched his electronic devices, vehicle and accommodation under court orders. They seized items and digital data allegedly linking him to criminal acts, including two mobile phones and a laptop containing a large amount of data.
The court ordered one month of pre-trial detention, despite the man offering 20,000 euros in bail money and his family home in Novi Sad as collateral.
Croatia’s Chief State Attorney, Ivan Turudic, initially sparked public interest on Monday when he made a comment about a case related to national security. It was then reported by Jutarnji list that Turudic was referring to the arrest of an alleged hacker linked to Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency, BIA.
It is not known whether the suspect’s alleged access to the computer systems of various institutions and agencies endangered Croatia’s national security in any way, or what he did with any data he may have obtained.
Nera Gajdarov Beg, the suspect’s lawyer, told Jutarnji list that the court’s custody order is being contested.
“An appeal has been filed against the decision to order pretrial detention because we believe that not all legal requirements for such a decision have been met. At this point, I cannot provide details of the defence because the proceedings are in the investigation phase, which is secret,” Gajdarov Beg said.
The Serbian authorities have not commented on the arrest so far. However, Serbian media have reported that Georgije V. is the owner of an active Novi Sad-based company specialising in computer programming and cybersecurity.
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