Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) stated on Thursday it had decided to withdraw Kazimir Bacic from the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) working groups pending completion of the proceedings against this former director-general of the Croatian public broadcaster.

The HRT said that the decision on the suspension of Bacic’s membership in EBU international groups was made with the EBU’s consent, following the information that Bačić was indicted for graft.

The former director general of the HRT, Kazimir Bacic, is indicted by the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) for influence peddling and bribery in a case dubbed “Gardens of Light”.

USKOK investigators allege that Bacic, acting on behalf of businessman Milan Loncaric, took a bribe of €50,000 and handed it over to the late Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic for the Gardens of Light construction project. As a reward for his intermediary role, Bacic is believed to have been given an apartment worth €133,300 in central Zagreb.

According to the information at the EBU website, Bacic actively participated in many projects in various groups and committees as an active member of the EBU, such as EBU-IBA (several mandates), EBU-TC (several mandates), WBU IMCG Forum (three times) and COPEAM.