Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of two city employees in a police operation launched early on Wednesday morning, noting that police were conducting searches at several locations and that the city authorities were ready to help investigate any suspicious deals.

“I want the city administration to stop being a symbol of non-transparency and suspicion of corruption and we will do our best to finally clear things up,” the mayor said at a news conference which he called to comment on the operation launched by police and USKOK anti-corruption investigators.

Police and USKOK members were conducting searches at the mayor’s staff service office as well as at two more locations – the Institute for the Protection of Monuments, Culture and Nature and the Zagreb City Institute for Physical Planning.

Tomasevic confirmed that two city employees were arrested – the head of the mayor’s staff service, Andreja Sulentic, and chauffeur Zdravko Krajina.

According to unofficial reports, police have arrested associates of the former Zagreb mayor, the late Milan Bandic, as well as director of state television HRT, Kazimir Bacic.

The former mayor’s associates who have been arrested are his chauffeurs Zdravko Krajina and Vladimir Dzaja, a former head of the Commission for the lease of public areas, Jelena Ceklic, the head of the mayor’s staff service, Andreja Sulentic, and Denis Mohenski, also known as the King of Advent.

There has been no official confirmation of the arrests from police officials yet.

The persons arrested are reportedly connected with the Zagreb Advent event as well as other activities of the former city administration.

HRT director Bacic is suspected of having acted as a middleman between Bandic and the former majority owner of the TEZ light bulb factory, Milan Loncaric, who has been arrested as well.