A county court in Velika Gorica decided on Thursday that former Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) member of parliament and former Autoclub Siget director, Damir Skaro, who is suspected of rape and sexual harassment, would remain in custody for one more month.

Court spokesman Ante Zeljko confirmed to the state news agency Hina that Skaro’s custody had been extended due to the risk that he could tamper with witnesses.

Skaro had in the meantime resigned as director of Autoklub Siget, where his victim is employed.

The case first broke publicly early in September, when the Nova TV broadcaster aired an announcement for an episode of their investigative TV programme “Provjereno”, which showed the testimony of the woman who accuses Skaro of rape.

Skaro, who served as a HDZ MP from 1995 to 2000, was arrested at a border crossing as he was entering Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina on September 4. He had been reported by a female doctor after the victim told her of being raped in early August. The victim later reported Skaro for threatening her. After being questioned, Skaro was remanded in 30-day investigative detention.

Unofficial sources said at the time that Skaro may try and tamper with four witnesses in the investigation – three women who complained to a legal officer at the Autoklub about sexual harassment, as well as a man through whom Skaro tried to pay off the victim so that she would remain silent.

In the meantime, Skaro’s attorney, Kresimir Krsnik, has sued the victim, claiming she divulged information about the case, as well as the journalist and editor of the Provjereno programme for incitement to divulging information. Krsnik had unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the airing of the programme.

The victim had requested to be questioned via video link, so as to not have to face the accused during the trial, Zeljko said.

The HDZ has also launched a disciplinary procedure against its former MP.

Later on Thursday, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND) slammed the move by Krsnik, calling it an act of intimidation and harassment and an attempt at discouraging journalists from covering such topics.

This move “is also a message to victims not to share their traumas with the public and not to point their fingers at the perpetrators, as well as to journalists not to deal with such topics. We hope and believe that Nova TV, the Provjereno programme and its entire team will not give up, will not be intimidated and will continue doing their job professionally as they have so far,” HND chairman Hrvoje Zovko said.