The Hippodrome Affair refers to suspicions of illegal payments and fictitious invoices for security services at the Zagreb Hippodrome. The City of Zagreb, the city institution for managing sports facilities, and several security companies are at the center of the investigation.
The affair was revealed to the public by the well-known lawyer Anto Nobilo, who, on behalf of current and former employees of the Sports Facilities Management Institute, filed a criminal complaint against several responsible persons, including the mayor Tomislav Tomašević, his deputy Luka Korlaet, and the institution’s director, Kosta Kostanjević.
Nobilo claimed that more than two million euros were paid from the city budget for security services, which, according to the applicant, were essentially not performed. It was especially highlighted that only in February 2024, 258,000 euros were paid for 840 work hours, and almost 700,000 euros were paid through a small company with one employee.
It is suspected that the invoices for the security services were fictitious. They were shown as if the Hippodrome protected 35 security guards in each of the three shifts, which would mean more than 24,000 hours per month, although, allegedly, such several security guards were not engaged.
On April 11, 2025, by order of the DORH and Attorney General Ivan Turudić, the police seized documentation from the Hippodrome and the security company Eurolex Protection, which issued invoices to the City of Zagreb for disputed services.
The City of Zagreb confirmed that the police are looking for specific documentation but did not discuss the case in more detail.
Mayor Tomašević rejected the accusations, claiming that the hiring of security guards was necessary due to security threats and the violent behavior of Enimark Ponjević, a former user of the Hippodrome and owner of a security company, who, according to the City’s claims, illegally occupied part of the facility and threatened users.
Tomašević also asserted that Nobilo is personally motivated by material interests and a political campaign, because he is connected to the ownership of land near the Hippodrome, where the former city government planned a large-scale construction, and the current administration stopped those plans.
The investigation is ongoing, and USKOK and the police are collecting documentation and conducting investigations. In the criminal report, two other individuals and two legal entities are listed, in addition to city officials.
The key questions are whether the security services were actually performed in the scope for which the invoices were issued and whether money was withdrawn from the city budget through fictitious invoices.
The Hippodrome affair revealed potentially serious irregularities in the spending of public money for security services at the Zagreb Hippodrome, and the investigation will determine whether the accusations are founded and who is responsible for possible illegalities.
