Offshore Schemes and Unpaid Taxes: A Cross-border Scandal Unearthed in Slovenia and Croatia
In the heart of Europe, neighboring countries Slovenia and Croatia share more than just geographical proximity and EU membership. Unchecked white-collar criminal networks have thrived in this micro-region, using their closeness to launder ill-gotten gains and evade investigations. In this article, we will discuss four chilling tales of tax evasion, fraud, and offshore financial maneuvers discovered by a team of investigative journalists from Oštro in Slovenia and Oštro in Croatia.
White-collar Crimes: A Complex Web
White-collar crimes often go unnoticed until a company’s financial troubles surface or they file for bankruptcy. By this point, assets have often been transferred to other jurisdictions, making investigations an intricate, time-consuming process for both law enforcement and reporters.
Offshore Dealings from Slovenia and Croatia: Four Illustrative Cases
Oštro’s investigative team delved into these hidden dealings, revealing the following tales of deceit:
Slovenian Businessmen Evade Creditors through Offshore Companies
A chilling tale follows a group of Slovenian businessmen connected to a prominent advisor of Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša. The group moved assets of biogas plants through offshore companies to obstruct investigations.
Intermediary Companies Defraud Croatian Farmers
Another investigation exposed key figures from intermediary companies defrauding Croatian farmers, who were left unpaid for silage production contracted for biogas plants.
Slovenian Businessman’s Tax Evasion Using Offshore Transactions
A third story unmasked the offshore business dealings of a Slovenian businessman under investigation for tax evasion using fictitious transactions between Slovenian and Croatian companies.
A Valuable Silo: Suspiciously Low Sale Price
The fourth story unraveled the mysterious selling of a valuable silo on the Adriatic coast that was once owned by a Croatian brewery. The buyer: A British Virgin Islands-based company owned by a Slovenian national for a suspiciously low price.
Continued Efforts to Uncover Cross-border Schemes
These stories have been published in-depth on Oštro’s investigative platform in both Croatian and Slovenian languages. The team’s continued efforts to uncover the intricacies of these cross-border schemes represent a significant step towards uncovering the web of financial deceit that transcends borders.
Published Articles
Here are the links to the published articles for more detailed information:
- Croatian: The Chain of Tax Evasion Originated in Slovenia, Belizean Haven for Slovene Finances, Croatian Farmers Cheated by Intermediary Companies, Jadran Silos on the Coast of the British Virgin Islands
- Slovenian: Caribbean Haven for Biogas Assets, Unpaid VAT - and off to Belize!, Farmers on the Firing Line of Slovenian Companies, Jadran Silos on the Coast of the British Virgin Islands