Environmental fund selects Kostak for waste remediation in Gospić despite ongoing investigation into illegal dumping
The Environmental Protection Fund has selected the Croatian subsidiary of Slovenian Kostak for covering buried waste in Gospić, despite an ongoing investigation into illegal dumping.
Controversial selection: Kostak awarded contract in Gospić despite investigation
The Environmental Protection Fund has selected Kostak-Graditeljstvo Tehnologija Sirovine d.o.o. from Zagreb for covering hazardous buried waste in Gospić, according to 24sata. The work involves temporary site security until the excavation of an estimated 33,000 tonnes of waste and final remediation. The same company was at the centre of a scandal last year due to illegal dumping of municipal waste in Slovenia, and a criminal investigation remains ongoing.
The fund assessed the contract value at 400,000 euros excluding VAT. Croatian Kostak submitted a bid for 268,740 euros, which was accepted. The Croatian subsidiary is headed by Miljenko Muha, whom Slovenian media identify as one of the suspects in the illegal dumping case, alongside three other employees of the parent company and one environmental protection inspector.
Slovenian inspectorate: 2,900 cubic metres of waste buried
The parent Slovenian company Kostak d.d. operated the Waste Management Centre Spodnji Stari Grad in Krško. In a statement from the Slovenian inspectorate from October last year, it is noted that an inspector determined the illegal dumping of municipal waste at that location. The company Kostak d.d. was issued an administrative order on 25 March 2025 requiring it to process all illegally buried material by 24 June 2025.
The inspectorate monitored the implementation of measures and verified compliance in the field. It was established that the obligated party ensured processing of an estimated 2,900 cubic metres of mixed municipal waste, with processing carried out at its own centre. The same statement notes that the police accepted the inspectorate's criminal report and initiated an investigation.
According to Slovenian media reports, Kostak has this year excavated and disposed of all the waste. The investigation, in which investigators suspect the company obtained benefits of 8.7 million euros through illegal dumping, has not yet concluded. Since the proceedings concern the parent company in Slovenia, the fund apparently found no legal obstacle to accepting the bid from the Croatian subsidiary.
Tabak Grupa selected for 650 tonnes in bags
For the disposal of 650 tonnes of ground waste stored in large bags in the Gospić silo area, the fund has selected Tabak Grupa from Zaprešić. This is a company with Bosnia and Herzegovina owners, Kristina Perić and Ivan Tabak, which according to Fina data employs eight workers. The company is engaged in plastic recycling in Zaprešić and operates a facility in Tomislavgrad. It bid for waste disposal at 446,875 euros including VAT, making it cheaper than the competing consortium led by companies CE-Z-AR of Petar Pripuz and Saubermacher.
Silo remediation: bids still under assessment
The more valuable part of the work — remediation of approximately 4,500 tonnes of waste scattered across the Gospić silo — has not yet been awarded. For this contract, Tabak Grupa is competing with a bid of 4.5 million euros including VAT, and a consortium led by CE-Z-AR which has bid 10.97 million euros including VAT. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated that there is also a possibility of cancelling the tender for this part of the work.
Source: 24sata