Gabrijela Zalac, former minister in Croatia, has been sentenced to seven months in prison for abuse of power, after she used European funds for personal expenses.

Gabrijela Zalac, former Minister of Regional Development and European Funds in Croatia, has been sentenced to seven months in prison for using European funds for private expenses at restaurants, causing a budget loss of nearly 10,000 euros. She has admitted her guilt and will repay the amount. This is the second verdict for corruption related to European funds, after she was previously sentenced to two years in prison for the acquisition of software. Croatia is facing endemic corruption issues, despite the commitments made.