The Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) and police investigators on Wednesday arrested Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Damir Dekanic and several others suspects, including police officers, for breach of official duty.

USKOK reported that the arrests were made after an investigation had been launched into several persons suspected of breaching their official duties. The law enforcement authorities did not reveal the identities of the suspects.

The local media broke the news about the arrest of County Prefect Dekanic, several police officers and some other suspects.

Last spring, Dekanic came into the media limelight following a traffic accident near the eastern town of Cerna after which he claimed that he was a passenger in his official car and that the driver caused the accident.

On the other hand, media outlets quoted witnesses as saying that it was Dekanic who was driving the official car under the influence of alcohol and that he caused the accident.

The police report after the crash said that Dekanic was in the passenger seat.

Dekanic insisted that the claims that it was him who was driving the car were disseminated by those trying to provoke his resignation.

HDZ MP: Dekanic might be suspended from party

MP Mario Kapulica (HDZ) announced on Wednesday that Vukovar-Srijem County Prefect Damir Dekanic might be suspended from the ruling party following his arrest.

Kapulica told the press in Parliament that in his conversations with party officials, Dekanić had repeatedly claimed that he was not driving. Now the authorities will end the media speculation and establish what actually happened, he said.

The situation is not pleasant for the HDZ, he added.

“We will see what happens after the questioning, whether he will be released or not,” Kapulica said, adding that he had no reason not to believe Dekanic when he said he was not driving the car.

The leader of the Vukovar-Srijem County branch of the right-wing DP party, Josip Dabro, said he felt sorry for Dekanic, but expected him to resign and a local snap election to be called.

“I have been saying from day one that the County Prefect was not telling the truth about the traffic accident and now the truth has come to light. I regret that the institutions have been under great pressure to finally establish the truth, but now I would like to thank them,” Dabro told Hina.

Dabro, who ran in the second round of the last local election as a rival to Dekanic for the position of County Prefect, said it remained to be seen how this story would unfold.