Maja Đerek Biography of a law graduate

Maja Đerek (formerly Kordić) is the most famous Croatian whistleblower. as a lawyer and Graduate graduate in law She worked in a state-owned enterprise State real estate d.o.o.. There, she discovered unusual benefits in the lease of state business premises and publicly warned about illegalities. After she was fired for reporting irregularities, she initiated court proceedings and became a symbol of the struggle for transparency. Her life includes Mostar, Zagreb, Split and Zagreb, as well as an abundance of political-legal conflicts – but also the lack of interest of public institutions to sanction irregularities. The following is an overview of known and verified information about her life and work.

Early life and education

Maja Đerek was born in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina). in review for Bljesak.info She pointed out that she is proud of Mostar’s origin and that her father is Dr. Zdenko Kordić, former rector of the University of Mostar.
During the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the family had fled and lived in a hotel in Strožanac. Her former history teacher described her as an excellent student who was happy to get involved in classes and help others.
She continued her high school education in Split, and then graduated in law and passed the bar exam. Multiple media reports that A law graduate with more than 12 years of experience.

Career and whistle

State real estate and detection of irregularities

She got a job in state real estate May 2018 and became the head of the legal service. Already in December of the same year, she was appointed Acting Director of the Business premises.
She noticed that the bills were issued for 24 of 150 leases, which is why the state budget has lost about 400 000 Kuna per month. After sealing several business premises, she clashed with the Minister of State Property, Marija Banožić, who demanded their unseal.
She claimed that certain business premises were used illegally without compensation and that illegally written off debts. For example, in the show N1 She stated that two business premises in the center of Zagreb are considered empty for privileged tenants, which cost the state more than 730 000 euro. She believed that favors were taking place in state property for years and that around 3900 empty government apartments it remains unused.
For warnings of irregularities, she received September 2020 cancellation., but in September 2024, the County Court in Šibenik ruled that the dismissal was illegal and ordered her return to work. Đerek then stated that HDZ’s judiciary “made exceptional efforts to prevent her return to work” and that despite obstructions she will continue to expose irregularities.
When she was a guest on the show during September 2024 N1, she emphasized that she has not yet returned to work, because the verdict is being obstructed, but she announced that she will not give up on her return and that she will continue to report illegalities.
company state real estate She denied part of her allegations and argued that the information on the empty spaces was incorrect, stating that the premises were not in the company’s possession and that they were the subject of court proceedings. Shortly after returning to work, the company warned her before dismissal due to “too many emails” and “excessive underlining of the text”, which the media described as a new round of pressure.

Back to work, new applications and pressures (2024–2026)

Upon returning to work in November 2024, she became a union commissioner and continued to report irregularities. National is in March 2025. announced that the company had initiated proceedings against her due to the lease agreement in Dežmanova Street in Zagreb. It is evident from the documentation that she neither wrote nor signed the disputed contract because she was on sick leave that day, so the union claims that it was a set-up. Trade unionist Mario Iveković stated that it was a “pure interest persecution” because Đerek has no initials on any contract, and damages were reported to her from 57 644 eura.
Đerek states in a letter to the union that after returning to work, she has already reported damages from 6,1 million eura and that threats and manipulations have intensified since it reported multimillion-dollar damages to the competent institutions.
After filing a criminal complaint against the administration and former ministers in the fall of 2024 for embezzlement, Ambusher announced in September 2025 that he did not find evidence for reported criminal offenses and that he was rejecting the criminal report. USKOK delivered the decision Supervisory Board of State Real Estate, which the legal expert Zlata Đurđević assessed as problematic because the Committee, as the body overseeing the company, is not an independent injured party.
Đerek, responding to the rejection, submitted a new criminal complaint (November 2025) against members of the Supervisory Board, claiming that they ignored information about 24 contracts for which invoices are not issued, thus losing the state about 53 000 Eura per month.
days July 16, 2025. The city of Split paid her 7 336,33 euro Fees due to an illegal suspension, but she immediately returned the amount and requested that it be donated to the Anđeli association, which helps children with disabilities. With this, she wanted to emphasize that she did not receive a salary for a job she did not do.
In February 2026. State real estate reacted to the announcements of MP Dalija Orešković about the write-off of debts related to the HDZ and said that the write-offs were carried out legally and that they are based on “opinions of the employee Maja đerek”, for which USKOK claims that they are constructions. The company states that only uncollectible liabilities were written off and that USKOK did not establish a crime, while Đerek and the union persistently claim the opposite.

Operating in the city of Split

After leaving state real estate, Đerek was appointed head of the Administrative Department for City Property of the City of Split at the end of 2021. Her mandate was marked by the fight against political pressure and conflicts with the mayor Ivica Puljko.
In June 2024, the Official Court ruled that her earlier dismissal was illegal and ordered the City to return her to her workplace. Despite this verdict, Đerek decided to resign in the same year with the explanation that he does not want to receive a salary while “watching HDZ’s octopus destroy the city”. In an interview for N1 television, she called Puljko a “PR fraud” and accused the city administration of illegally appointing the head and favoring in the allocation of city apartments.
After the city paid her arrears during the suspension, she returned the money and asked to be donated to humanitarian purposes.

associations and activism

years 2022. She founded Association for the Development of Transparency and Protection of Whistleblowers “Development”. According to official registers, the association was registered in Zagreb (Jarnovićeva ulica 17e), founded June 2, 2022., and Maja Đerek is the president. The association acts as an organization of members without realized profit and there are no recorded tax debts.
In media talks, she said that the association Free legal aid to whistleblowers, educates citizens about their rights and advocates the establishment of a public register of city real estate. She also prepared a criminal complaint for a case Petrochemistry, claiming that millions were lost due to bad management.
The association cooperates with trade unions and other civil organizations. Đerek warns that the existing Law on the Protection of Applicants Irregularity does not provide real protection and that whistleblowers are often retaliated by dismissal instead of protection.

Media appearances and public interest

Maja Đerek often makes appearances on television shows, including N1, point per week and Checked, where it explains the irregularities in the management of state property. Her statements about empty state apartments and criticism of the announced real estate tax have sparked numerous debates.
Professional conference Women in Law She described her as “the most famous Croatian whistleblower” who, due to the fight against structural and political pressures, became a symbol of transparency.
The media monitors every development of its actions, including court rulings, new criminal charges and reactions from state authorities. The events of 2024, 2025 and early 2026 show that her case remains relevant and that it arouses interest from the public and political actors.

Age, height and personal life

Information about the year of birth, age, physical height or private property status of Maje Đerek are not publicly available. It is only known that Daughter of Dr. Zdenko Kordić, former rector of the University of Mostar. Other details from private life are not published in reliable sources, so we cannot list them here. Respecting the Privacy Policy, we will not speculate on family life, relationships or net worth in this article.

Social networks

Đerek uses social networks to inform the public about his work and the irregularities he discovers. on the platform x/twitter He publishes views on state property, and the media often reports its announcements. However, precise data on the number of its companions or accounts on other networks have not been publicly verified.

Why is there a great interest in Maja Đerek?

Whistleblower against the system – The discovery of millions of losses and favoritism in state companies called into question the work of ministers and administrations.
Attempt to suppress criticism – The dismissals, suspensions and warnings she received indicate the efforts of the system to silence criticism.
A lawyer who doesn’t surrender – Despite pressures, judgments and disciplinary procedures, he continues to report irregularities and demand transparency.
humanitarian gesture – When the City of Split paid the arrears due to an illegal suspension, it returned the amount and asked that it be donated to children with disabilities.
Leading person in civil society – Through the association Development, it promotes the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption.

FAQ – FAQ

Question	Answer
Who is Maja Đerek?	Croatian lawyer from Mostar, former employee of state real estate and the most famous whistleblower in the country. She exposed numerous irregularities in the management of state business premises.
What did she discover in state real estate?	that the bills are issued for only 24 out of 150 leases, which cost the state budget about 400 000 KUN per month; She sealed the empty spaces to prevent abuses.
Did she get fired?	Yes, she was fired in September 2020 after reporting irregularities. In 2024, the court ruled that the dismissal was illegal and ordered a return to work.
What is he doing after a dismissal?	She founded the Association Development to Help Whistleblowers, took over the position of head in Split (later resigned) and continued lawsuits against the responsible persons.
Did she report the ministers criminally?	Yes, she filed a criminal complaint against the leaders of state real estate, former minister Marija Banožić and the prime minister’s head. In 2025, USKOK rejected the application, but it filed a new application against the Supervisory Board.
How old is he?	Age and year of birth are not publicly disclosed in reliable sources, so they are considered unknown.
Who is her father?	Her father is prof. Dr. Zdenko Kordić, former rector of the University of Mostar.
What is the “cotu coga affair”?	The disciplinary procedure initiated against her by the state real estate company due to the lease agreement in Dežmanova 2. The documents show that she did not sign the contract because she was on sick leave, and the union claims that it is a set-up.
Why did she return the money to the city of Split?	After the court declared the suspension illegal, the city had to pay her 7 336.33 eura, but she returned the amount and asked to donate to the association Anđeli, which takes care of children from difficulties.

Conclusion

The biography of Maja Đerek emphasizes the courage of an individual who opposed powerful political and economic interests. With her discoveries, she encouraged a public debate about the management of state property and the position of whistleblowers in Croatia. Although the competent institutions rejected her criminal charges in 2025, she continued to file reports and warn of losses. Her case is a reminder of the importance of civic courage and transparency. Due to constant court proceedings, new reports and reactions of state bodies, the topic of Maje Đerek is still relevant. Readers who want to follow further development are recommended to follow proven media and official announcements, because its struggle for transparency will probably shape the Croatian public scene in the future.