Austrian State Prosecutor Friedrich Koenig told the Austrian news agency APA on Wednesday that the office of the state prosecutor in charge of investigating corruption was planning to interview former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader within an investigation into money laundering. The anti-corruption office is planning to interview Sanader, who is held in extradition custody in Salzburg, via video link, but the exact date of the hearing has not yet been set.
Koenig, who is also the spokesman for the anti-corruption office of the state attorney, said that in the Sanader case, the Austrian authorities were conducting also an investigation against one member of Sanader's family and against "the third person". Koenig declined to specify the identities of Sanader's relative and that third person.
He only said that the probe had been launched on money laundering suspicions.
A week ago, a Tyrolean bank reported a money laundering case implicating Sanader. Media have reported that there is one bank account on the name of Ivo Sanader and one bank account on the name of his deceased father which allegedly contained one million euros and according to media this might have been funds syphoned via the Fimi Media private company from Croatian state companies, APA said.
Sanader was arrested in Salzburg on 10 December following a warrant for his arrest issued in Croatia. Since then he has been held in custody.
In Innsbruck where he studied, Sanader set up a consulting firm three months ago, APA reports adding that Ivo Sanader's brother Miroslav lives in Tyrol where works as a teacher and translator and is politically active.
