Vjekoslav Potocanac, former director of the Pozega-Slavonia County Social Welfare Institute suspected of domestic violence, was remanded in custody for a month due to the risk of witness tampering.

The investigating judge ordered that he be remanded in custody due to the risk that he could try to exert influence on four witnesses, his wife and three underage children.

The former head of the county social welfare institute and leader of the HDZ party branch in Velika municipality is suspected of offences related to domestic violence and violation of children’s rights.

“There are reasonable grounds for believing that the 41-year-old suspect committed offences against his wife and three children, threatening with his conduct the children’s normal psycho-physical development and putting his wife in a humiliating position,” the prosecutors said.

Potocanac was reported by his wife, after which he was dismissed as the head of the county social welfare institute.