A Croatian court sentenced former deputy prime minister Damir Polancec to 15 months in prison today for abuse of office and state funds, state radio said.
Polancec became the most senior government official sentenced for corruption to date, as Croatia presses on with an anti-corruption drive that is vital for completing its European Union membership talks next year.
Polancec, who also faces trial in two more graft cases, was convicted of inflicting financial damage on the state by ordering and paying 500,000 kuna ($96,000) for an unnecessary expert study, the radio said.
Court officials were not available for comment.
Polancec has denied any wrongdoing in that case and in a more serious one involving the Croatian food group Podravka, where a group of managers tried to buy a majority stake using the firm's own funds.
Polancec was a Podravka executive before joining the government in 2005. He and other former managers are accused of causing the firm financial damage of at least 400 million kuna.
Prime minister Jadranka Kosor launched a major anti-corruption drive after taking power in July last year.
A dozen managers at state companies have been taken into custody. In most cases, indictments are still pending.
Croatia is in the final stages of EU accession talks, which it hopes to complete by mid-2011. A major condition it has to satisfy is a steady and unrelenting fight against widespread corruption.