The Zagreb County Court on Thursday sentenced pending appeal the accused in the Core Media case and the main defendants, former spouses Dijana Culjak and Vladimir Selebaj-Sellier, must return HRK 6.5 million each.

Selebaj-Sellier must also pay the state HRK 4.4 million. He was given a two-year prison sentence and has to spend half of it behind bars. The other half is suspended with three years’ probation.

His former wife and former editor at the public broadcaster was given a 15-month sentence, of which she has to spend seven months in prison, while the rest is suspended, also with three years’ probation.

Culjak was acquitted pending appeal of persuading a witness to give a false testimony.

Of the other defendants, Vlado Bucan was given ten months in prison with two years’ probation. If the sentence is upheld, he will lose nearly HRK 500,000 made in illegal gains. Igor Sumakovic and Toncek Mandic were also given suspended sentences.

The group was accused of using fictitious invoices to siphon HRK 22.9 million from the Core Media and Media Spot companies between 2004 and 2008.

Under the first verdict from 2017, which was quashed by the Supreme Court, Culjak and Selebaj-Sellier were given higher prison sentences but had to return less money.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)