Hana Cigoj, Nikolina Pisek's Daughter, Fined 1,500 Euros
A Split court fined Hana Cigoj, daughter of Nikolina Pisek, 1,500 euros for missing her trial over a theft at the family villa in Kastela. Judges also ordered she be brought in by force.
Hana Cigoj, daughter of Nikolina Pisek and Marko Cigoj, was fined 1,500 euros today by the Municipal Court in Split after failing, for the second time, to show up at a hearing where she was due to testify in the theft case involving her family’s villa in Kastela.
Judge Jasenka Pavlovic decided to act after Cigoj’s second consecutive no show. Along with the fine, she issued an order for Hana to be brought to the next hearing by force, sent to her address in Zagreb.
Why Didn’t Hana Show Up for the Hearing?
The reason given for her absence was a document from an Italian university, under which Hana allegedly had academic obligations in Milan. The judge did not accept that explanation, since the document carried neither a stamp nor an official confirmation that could verify whether those obligations actually existed.
Her previous absence, it should be recalled, was excused for business reasons. The fine is not final, however. The judge left room for the decision to be reviewed if Hana later submits valid documentation and an explanation the court finds acceptable.
The case against Roko Gale has been running for six years now. He is charged with stealing from a villa in Kastel Stari, where Nikolina Pisek and her then husband, the late Vidoje Ristovic, were staying during the summer of 2020. According to the indictment, Gale took advantage of a moment when the guests were out of the house in late July of that year and made off with cash and jewelry.
According to the indictment, the villa lost:
- at least 63,000 euros in cash
- a men’s Cvstos watch, estimated at around 18,000 euros
- a gold Pierre Kunz watch, worth around 25,000 euros
- a Rolex Sky Dweller Rose Gold, estimated at 35,000 euros
- a Cartier Love bracelet with diamonds, worth over 40,000 euros
- a Cartier Panthere ring, estimated at 24,000 euros
- a Chopard ring, whose value runs as high as 65,000 euros
The total value of the property allegedly stolen therefore runs into the hundreds of thousands of euros.
Roko Gale’s defense has insisted from the start that there is no evidence he was the one who took the valuables. His lawyers asked that the injured parties submit documentation proving ownership of the jewelry and watches. The court granted that request, but the documentation still had not arrived by the most recent hearing.
What Did the Rental Agency Owner Say Earlier?
Dario Saric, owner and director of the Split based company VIP Holiday Booker, through which the villa in Kastel Stari had been rented out, testified before the court earlier in the case. By his account, part of the rent was paid by card in advance, while the rest was to be paid in cash on the guests’ arrival, along with an agreed security deposit.
The standard deposit for that villa was 2,000 euros, but it was raised to 3,000 euros because two dogs had been announced. Gale, Saric says, later informed him that it was not two dogs that arrived at the villa but four dogs and a hedgehog, which under the rental rules was grounds for an additional deposit.
When Saric asked for that additional deposit, angry phone calls followed, according to his testimony. He said Vidoje Ristovic contacted him and came across as very angry and unpleasant, threatening to burn the house down and cause 300,000 euros in damage. Saric also recalled that Ristovic mentioned a man he called “Djoka from the Hell Angels” who would settle the matter, which the witness took as a threat.
Despite that detail from earlier hearings, the case still hinges mostly on documentation proving ownership of the jewelry, which does not exist, and on whether Hana Cigoj will show up to testify at all. The next hearing, with the order for her forced appearance in place, is still ahead.
