A man from Estonia who lived in a car near Split Airport for months was acquitted of vagrancy charges, although the court was unable to prove that he was begging or disturbing public order.
The 38-year-old Estonian arrived in Split in mid-July this year after, as he says, fleeing Estonia. He was drawn to the sea and sun, and he had money with him, which he spent after a month and a half. He parked his car near the Sveti Jerolim airport terminal in Kaštel Štafilić, in a place where taxi drivers usually park.
"The Croatian government allowed me to park there," the Estonian said at the hearing. He would sometimes sleep in his car, but he claims he never slept in the airport building. He maintained his hygiene on beaches where there were showers, and would only wash his hair at gas stations.
"I come from a rich family and I was supposed to donate a lot of money to Croatia," he explained in court with the help of a translator.
The police found him several times at the airport. In their official notes, the officers noted that he was clean and tidy and that "it did not appear that he had spent the past two months sleeping in the vehicle." They described the car's interior as "extremely tidy."
The Estonian claimed he was coming to the airport to meet passengers who were supposed to bring him money. The problem was that he couldn't withdraw the money from his bank account in Estonia because the Croatian bank doesn't do business with that bank, and he doesn't have an OIB.
"I have 20 euros on me right now," he said at the hearing.
The prosecution charged him with begging and sleeping in the airport area for five months. However, the court concluded that there was no evidence of this. No police officer found him asking for money from passengers or showing signs of begging. The verdict, issued in mid-November, states that his behavior did not indicate vagrancy, as he did not change his place of residence frequently or wander around without a specific destination.
"His access to the airport is legal and not restricted by anything, especially if he does not commit any violations," the reasoning states. The court noted that the man had a "neat and well-groomed appearance" at the hearing, which is not characteristic of a person who indulges in vagrancy.
Photo: Canva/Foto kreativa portal.hr/Ilustracija
