Interpol issues arrest warrant for former head of Croatian Ski Association for embezzlement of 30 million euros

Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović said that an Interpol arrest warrant has been issued against the former head of the Croatian Ski Association (HSS), Vedran Pavlek, who is in Turkey and unavailable to Croatian authorities, and is linked to the withdrawal of almost 30 million euros from HSS.

"It is now a matter of ongoing proceedings, an Interpol arrest warrant has been issued and that information is available to all Interpol members and visible through the European Arrest Warrant system," Božinović said in an interview with Nova TV's Dnevnik, when asked when his Turkish colleagues would arrest Pavlek.

Božinović added that then the process will take place before the Turkish authorities, and when the decision on extradition is made, the extradition will take place.

Asked what the handover will look like, the Croatian minister said that it is a matter of police action, which will be carried out by the Croatian police in this specific case.

The investigating judge of the Zagreb County Court, at the suggestion of Uskok, ordered a one-month pretrial detention for Pavlek and four others out of a total of six suspects in the theft of almost 30 million euros from HSS, reports Hina.

According to information from the court, Pavlek, who is in Turkey, was ordered to be remanded in custody for escape, then for the risk of influencing witnesses and the risk of repeating the criminal offense.

USKOK prosecutor Tonći Petković confirmed that Pavlek is on the run and that after receiving the decision on pre-trial detention, the prosecution will initiate an arrest warrant and take steps to bring him to Croatia as a defendant in the aforementioned proceedings.