At the first instance the District Court confirmed the allegations of the prosecution that Zupan, as an employee of the Ministry of Defence, had handed to Cekuta documents referring to combat vehicles 8 x 8, which were publicly not available, before the tender was published, and without authorisation by the Ministry of Defense.

The data referred to the intention of Slovenia to purchase 150 combat vehicles in the period between the years 2006 and 2011, with the participation of the local production. In this way Patria's competitiveness was boosted, and they had more time to prepare the offer. The judge Dejana Fekonja said at that time that no gain for Zupan was found, but she was convinced of his self-interest by helping somebody else gain profit by offering friendly favours.

Cekuta and Zupan appealed to the Higher Court, and Zupan delivered to the Court a document which should exonerate him. He had supposedly found the document in his mail box, and had no knowledge of the sender. In the document, which was supposedly written before the tender for purchase of armoured vehicles, stands that Edvard Kraševec had authorised Zupan to keep informing Cekuta of the purchase of armoured vehicles 8 x 8, by order of Franci Žnidaršič, then the state secretary at the Ministry. No such document was found at the Ministry, and Žnidaršič categorically denied its contents, drawing attention to certain illogical parts in the document.

Prison, and fine
The Higher Court judges were obviously not convinced by the new document, and the sentences for Cekuta and Zupan became final, and both will be imprisoned. They will also have to pay secondary fines: Cekuta the fine of 30,000 euros, and he will have to pay back 440,000 euros paid to him by Patria, or earned by forwarding information. Zupan will have to pay into the budget the fine of 15,000 euros.

Robert Škrjanc, Radio Slovenija
Translated by G. K.