The three judges of Osijek County Court who were arrested on suspicion of graft on Wednesday morning have been transferred to Zagreb for questioning by the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) .

According to unofficial information, the judges Darko Kruslin and Ante Kvesic were already brought to the USKOK headquarters, after which judge Zvonko Vekic and businessman Drago Tadic were expected too.

USKOK said the arrests were the result of an investigation conducted in cooperation with the police anti-corruption office (PNUSKOK) and tax authorities. The investigation was prompted by accusations made by former Dinamo football club boss and fugitive Zdravko Mamic who claimed he had bribed the judges concerned to clear him of the charges of embezzlement of money from that sport club.

The State Judicial Council (DSV) previously launched disciplinary proceedings against Kruslin and Vekic, following a request to that effect by the Osijek County Court, for socialising with Mamic. Mamic fled to Bosnia and Herzegovina a few years ago before the announcement of a trial court ruling in a case in which he was charged with siphoning HRK 116 million from Dinamo.

The judges were suspended in late March pending the completion of disciplinary proceedings, and the DSV at the time also rejected a motion by Mamic’s defence to be party to the proceedings.

The arrest of three judges a blow to the court

Osijek County Court president Zvonko Vrban told Hina today that the apprehension of the three judges was “a blow to the County Court in Osijek in terms of its functioning.”

The court is going to make technical rearrangements, however, “the reputation of those who work in the court can now be questioned by clients”.

Vrban declined to comment on the speculation that Mamic bribed the judges in cash, by paying for their travel arrangements and buying them shoes and clothes to make sure they would acquit him.

Last October, Mamic sent USKOK corruption investigators a USB stick with evidence incriminating the judges. On 16 March this year, after the Supreme Court upheld the trial court sentence against him of six and a half years in prison, Mamic held a press conference in the southern Bosnia and Herzegovina city of Mostar, accusing Supreme Court President Djuro Sessa and judges Vekic and Kruslin of corruption and bribe taking, and calling Osijek County Court president Vrban “a criminal who will be dismissed sooner or later.”

Mamic claimed that he had paid Vekic over €500,000, which he was to split with Kruslin and Kvesic.