The USKOK anti-corruption office has requested custody for the former director of the Zagreb City Cemeteries company, Patrik Segota (45) and his sister Tamara Segota (49), while two Sesvete Municipal Court officials have been released on bail in the latest corruption scandal in the Zagreb City administration and utility companies.

Segota is suspected of awarding deals to companies owned by Sesvete businessman Nenad Bukovec and granting him land to establish florist stands near Zagreb’s Mirogoj Cemetery.

Bukovec recently committed suicide.

Bukovec gave a house with a pool to Segota as a bribe

Segota was allegedly given a house with a pool on the Croatian Krk island as a bribe for the deal, the police said without identifying the parties involved.

USKOK suspects that the deal between Segota and Bukovec was worth 3.9 million kuna (€520,500), with 2.8 million (€373,700) paid for the work required and 673,000 (€90,000) given as bribe money. USKOK claims that the bribe was paid through an Osijek-based company owned by Segota’s sister Tamara, who has been accused as an accomplice in receiving the bribe.

The police and USKOK claim that the house on Krk island is formally owned by Tamara Segota but that the real owner is her brother and that Bukovec’s company built the house free of charge.

Segota and his sister Tamara are expected to face Zagreb County Court on Thursday afternoon when a decision will be delivered on USKOK’s request that they be remanded in custody.

USKOK: Court officials released on bail

Two employees of the land registry department of Sesvete Municipal Court and one businessman, who are also suspected of being involved in this corruption scandal, have been released on bail.

The two court officials – Ana-Marija Koncic (65), and Suzana Plivelic (51) – are accused of accepting a bribe to favour Bukovec regarding land titles. The two convinced businessman Alen Perusko (55), who seems to be a collateral victim in the scandal, to erase lien rights on real estate owned by his son for a ‘fee’ of 500 kuna (€67) in favour of Bukovec. The two court employees then split the money between them.

USKOK investigator Sven Miskovic said that Koncic and Plivelic would not be placed in investigative custody because they had been dismissed from their jobs.