Croatian Times
December 27, 2010
http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-12-27/16083/_Former_head_of_Croatian_Catholic_Mission_in_New_York_suspected_of_misuse_of_funds
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The former head of the Croatian Catholic Mission in New York has allegedly used the community's money for improper financing of a friend's restaurant.
The priest of Diocese of Krk Robert Zubovic has been in New York from 1998 to 2007, where he headed the Croatian Catholic Mission in Astoria, Queens. Just six months before leaving the post, he is said to have paid 50,000 dollars of the Mission’s money to the account of his friend Nada Bernic for the rental costs of her "Terrace in the Sky" restaurant in Manhattan.
The Croatian daily Vecernji List writes that the money has never been returned to the Mission, despite both Bernic and Zubovic’s claim of the contrary. Both have admitted the transaction had taken place, but claim that the money was deposited back onto the account.
"It is true that I borrowed 50,000 dollars, which I then returned. I gave him [Zubovic] the money in cash, and he deposited a check onto the community’s account," Bernic told the daily.
Zubovic said that his relationship with Bernic was that of a "pastor-faithful," and that he has not done any business with her.
"I helped many in New York. With personal money or with the community’s money. The community was collecting money and giving it away. I was deciding to whom and where. My consciousness is clean. When Nada needed help to pay the monthly rent for the restaurant, her husband turned to me for help and I thought it just to help those that have always helped the community. I haven’t done anything in secret. This is all registered," the priest told the newspaper.
"But it is a big lie and slander to say that the money has not been returned to the community," Zubovic continued, adding that he would collect all the necessary documents to corroborate his claim. He warned that this could take a day or two considering the time difference.
Several days after, however, Zubovic has not confirmed his claim. Vecernji List writes that he had contacted some members of the Croatian community in the meantime and asked them to write and sign a confirmation that he has returned this money.
No one has yet been willing to make any such statements, the daily writes.
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