Miroslav Kutle
{{short description|Bosnian Croat entrepreneur (born 1957)}}
Miroslav Kutle (born October 6, 1957) is a Bosnian Croat entrepreneur.{{citation | title = Kutle, Miroslav | series = Hrvatski Leksikon | volume = I | year = 1996 | publisher= Naklada Leksikon d.o.o. | location = Zagreb | language = Croatian | isbn = 953-96728-1-3 | page = 668 }} He became notorious{{cite news | url = http://www.jutarnji.hr/arhiva/glembajevski-baruni-oko-nas/2817053/ | language = Croatian | title = Glembajevski baruni oko nas | author = Jurica Pavičić | author-link = Jurica Pavičić | newspaper = Jutarnji list | date = 2009-06-20 | quote = "Miroslava Kutlu, prvog i najslavnijeg među prinčevima hrvatske pretvorbe [...] čovjek koji je do te mjere obilježio hrvatske devedesete da tu epohu bez skanjivanja smijemo zvati Kutlino doba" | accessdate = 2017-06-30}} for his involvement in the Croatian privatization controversy and has since been sentenced to jail time for embezzlement on two occasions.
Education
Kutle was born in Lištica, (today Široki Brijeg) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He attended school and the University of Zagreb, where he graduated at the Faculty of Law in 1982.
Business empire
In 1989 he founded UTP Globus, and in 1992 Globus Holdings, later to become Globus Group d.o.o. (Globus Grupa). In 1992, he was voted Manager of the Year (Small Businesses) by CROMA, The Croatian Managers Association{{cite web |url=http://www.croma.hr/?id=13 |title=Overview of the winners of annual awards HUM-CROMA 1992-2001|publisher=HUM-CROMA |language=Croatian |accessdate=12 June 2010}}
During the 1990s, Kutle's business empire expanded to include the companies Jadrantekstil, Slobodna Dalmacija, Radio Dalmacija, TV Marjan, Kastelanska Rivijera, Dalma, and Splitska banka.
Privatization and controversy
The rapid expansion of Kutle's business empire took place during the years following the independence of the new Republic of Croatia. Previously State-owned and run businesses were privatized, in what has become a controversial process. The relationship between Kutle, the then President Franjo Tudjman, the ruling HDZ party and the non-transparency of the transactions has come under scrutiny in the Croatian courts a number of times since 2000.
In 1999, the Croatian Privatization Fund ({{langx|hr|Hrvatski fond za privatizaciju}}, a government agency formed for the purpose of privatizing state-owned businesses)[http://www.hfp.hr/default.asp?ID=4 Croatian Privatization Fund Official website (English)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618090334/http://www.hfp.hr/default.asp?ID=4 |date=2010-06-18 }} confiscated the companies Diona, Jadrantekstil and Koteks, while Tisak and Slobodna Dalmacija were removed by court decisions.{{cite web |url=http://www.aimpress.ch/dyn/trae/archive/data/199902/90210-003-trae-zag.htm |title=The Epilogue of the Story of Kutle |first=Ivica |last=Djikic |date=2 February 1999 |publisher=AIM |location=Zagreb |accessdate=12 June 2010}}
In 2000, following the death of Tudjman, a new coalition government took over and started investigating corruption in the previous administration.{{cite web|url=http://www.nacional.hr/en/clanak/18063/kutle-grubisic-and-gucic-targets-of-the-state-audit |title=Kutle, Grubišić and Gucić: targets of the State Audit |first=Berislav |last=Jelinić |date=29 May 2002 |publisher=Nacional (weekly) |location=Zagreb |accessdate=12 June 2010 |quote=The findings of the State Audit which reviewed the first 100 privatized companies, showed that 80 of those companies had elements of irregularity or illegality. This is the first serious attempt to fight privatization crime. |archivedate=6 April 2012 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406190557/http://www.nacional.hr/en/clanak/18063/kutle-grubisic-and-gucic-targets-of-the-state-audit }} Miroslav Kutle was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for his role in the embezzlement of Tisak.{{cite web|url=http://www.nacional.hr/en/clanak/18386/kutles-conviction-is-an-introduction-to-a-new-investigation-against-the-grupo-media-cartel |title=Kutle's Conviction is an Introduction to a New Investigation Against the Grupo Media Cartel |first=Bereslav |last=Jelenic |date=13 July 2004 |publisher=Nacional |location=Zagreb |accessdate=12 June 2010 |archivedate=6 April 2012 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406190603/http://www.nacional.hr/en/clanak/18386/kutles-conviction-is-an-introduction-to-a-new-investigation-against-the-grupo-media-cartel |quote=In her ruling, Judge Bumči stated that Miroslav Kutle and the other accused had committed several felonies, damaging Tisak by 44 million kuna. They extracted money out of the company in the form of loans which Tisak granted to other companies, which was never intended to be returned. }} In 2004, the conviction was reversed by the Zagreb County Court.{{cite web |url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/miroslav-kutle-pusten-iz-pritvora/238096.aspx |title=Miroslav Kutle pušten iz pritvora |date=13 July 2004 |publisher=Vijesti.net |location=Zagreb |language=Croatian |trans-title=Miroslav Kutle Released from Prison |accessdate=13 June 2010}}
In June 2009, Kutle was again jailed by the first-instance court in Zagreb for a period of three years, for his involvement in the mismanagement of another company that had just been privatized, "Gradski podrum", in 1992.{{cite news
|url = http://www.jutarnji.hr/kutle-nepravomocno-osuden-na-tri-godine-zatvora/300490/
|language = Croatian
|title = Kutle nepravomoćno osuđen na tri godine zatvora
|newspaper = Jutarnji list
|date = 2009-06-18
|accessdate = 2010-06-14
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121011131955/http://www.jutarnji.hr/kutle-nepravomocno-osuden-na-tri-godine-zatvora/300490/
|archivedate = 2012-10-11
}}
In popular culture
The 2018 Croatian documentary film The Boss: The Beginning (Gazda: Početak), centers on Kutle and his role during privatisation in Croatia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/kultura/film-i-tv/nenad-polimac-o-filmu-gazda-pocetak-ovo-nije-samo-film-o-kutli-nego-i-o-usponu-hdz-a-i-konceptu-ekonomije-te-stranke/6944142/|title=NENAD POLIMAC O FILMU 'GAZDA: POČETAK': Ovo nije samo film o Kutli, nego i o usponu HDZ-a i konceptu ekonomije te stranke|work=jutarnji.hr|access-date=2018-01-21|language=en}}