Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić arrested for corruption

Police today arrested Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, Croatian media report, as reported by the BH News Agency Patria.

The arrested Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, CEO of Zagrebački holding Slobodan Ljubičić Kikaš, co-owner of the company "CIOS" Petar Pripuz, and 16 other suspects have been taken to the investigation prison in Zagreb's Oranice. They will remain in custody tonight.

USKOK also reported on the arrests on its website, without naming names. They state that several people have been arrested on suspicion of illegal actions in the City of Zagreb and the company Zagrebački holding d.o.o.

"Following a complex criminal investigation lasting several months related to illegal actions in the City of Zagreb and Zagrebački holding d.o.o., conducted by the Police Directorate and the National USKOK, and coordinated by the State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia and USKOK, several individuals have been arrested.

Evidential actions will be carried out in relation to the arrested persons, and they will be brought before the detention supervisor within the legal deadline. A criminal complaint for well-founded suspicion of committing a larger number of corrupt criminal offenses, abuse of office and authority, and trading in influence will be filed with USKOK," the official statement reads.

Petar Pripuz's lawyer, Mate Matić, stated that these are politically motivated arrests, given that the presidential election campaign is underway.

Leaders of political parties and some members of parliament have also reacted to these arrests, which have shaken the Croatian public, mostly stating that this is proof of the existence of the rule of law in which no one is above the law.

The City of Zagreb will be led in the coming period by two deputy mayors, Sandra Švaljek and Vesna Kusin.