Mayor of Petrinja: I didn't return the money, I said I didn't need it

The mayor of Petrinja, Darinko Dumbović, explained his statement that he will return HRK 30 million, which was originally allocated to the state.

"I didn't return it (the money), I just said that I didn't need it, I said that I slept through the night and that I made a decision that for me it was an offer that was not acceptable for my headquarters, for me as a person, because when you ask me how I react emotionally, we are people, we lost our city and we are stone. Stone is hard and can only be broken, and normally we have to react emotionally," said Dumbović, reports N1.

"I personally spoke to the Prime Minister and let him know that we need to have even stronger communication in the redistribution of funds, that politics or any conflicts should not be dragged into us at this time that are not necessary. We should not privatize this accident and tell me that it is mine. campaign statement. My campaign died with my city, Petrinja experienced a huge tragedy," said Dumbović.

"The prime minister gave his word and said - don't even think or dream that we won't give more, and that's what I needed. And I said that, because the message I'm giving must be clear, which is that the political key, apart from the profession, must not to determine the funds. We as the headquarters considered that at that moment it was not acceptable for Glina to receive 25 million and we 30 million. That was not acceptable at that moment, but they said that we would receive more," said Dumbović.

"We need everyone's help, the state, Europe, and Merkel. If they don't help us, then we don't need such a Europe. We don't even need to discuss it for a year and a half. We need help immediately. Parliament, what as far as I'm concerned, there should be a session in three days," said Dumbović, as Indeks reports.

The media previously reported that Dumbović announced that he would return HRK 30 million (four million euros) of aid to the state.

Jutarnji list stated that he said he would do it because, as he said, "we don't look at people and damage, but at political affiliation."

Dumbović then said that he would not take HRK 30 million that Prefect Ivo Žinić, out of a total of HRK 100 million for the areas affected by the earthquake, had allocated to Petrinja.

"If the government wants to help the people of Petrinj, it should send us aid directly, based on an expert assessment," said Dumbović indignantly at the time, and assessed that the criteria for distributing the money were not the level of damage from the earthquake and the number of people to be cared for, but political affiliation. .

"Petrinja has 24.000 inhabitants, and Glina has no more than 2.000, and the surrounding villages have 9.000. If you give Petrinja 100 million out of 30 million kuna, and Glina 25 million, then someone needs to explain to me how it is divided if it is not a political one." , Dumbović said earlier.