Vukovar-Srijem County prefect Damir Dekanic and four other persons have been remanded in 30-day investigative custody on suspicion of committing several crimes, an Osijek County court investigating judge decided on Thursday.

They are suspected of influence peddling, abuse of position and authority, and aiding and abetting in these crimes in connection with a traffic accident in which Damir Dekanic had been involved last year.

The judge issued a detention order for the five suspects because of the risk of interfering with witnesses, the deputy director of the USKOK anti-corruption office, Darko Dodig, told the press after the hearing.

Dodig said that a sixth suspect, a police officer, was not remanded on account of her poor health, but was prohibited from contacting witnesses.