Sanader thus can be freed from the Remetinec detention centre when today's court decision becomes final and the court is provided with proof of the delivery of bail.

The former premier will also have to hand over his passport and is due to appear before the Zagreb County Court on every first Monday in a month.

The Zagreb County Court's spokesman Kresimir Devcic said that Sanader would not leave the Remetinec prison before Monday, which was previously ordered by the Constitutional Court.

"Sanader will be released only after all conditions are met, which means that (today's) ruling must become final," Devcic said adding that both parties have the right to appeal today's decision in the next three days with the Supreme Court. After that the bail should be lodged, and the indictee promise that he would not hide himself, the spokesman said.

The spokesman also declined to speculate when Sanader could be released, adding that the procedure was under way and could take some time.

The extension of Sanader's detention was on the agenda of the panel of judges today after yesterday the national anti-corruption office USKOK filed an indictment against the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, its former president and prime minister Sanader, and nine more legal entities or natural persons for illegally syphoning 46.6 million kuna (6.2 million euros) from state companies and institutions into the party's slush fund.

The 60,000-page document in the Fimi Media case was delivered to the Zagreb County Court at about 1400 hours on Friday. In order for the indictment to become valid, it must be confirmed by the trial chamber in the case.

Last Tuesday, the Croatian Constitutional Court announced its decision under which investigative custody for former Prime Minister and HDZ leader Sanader must expire by 7 am on December 12 at the latest, and that in the meantime the investigating judge in charge of the case must decide on some other to replace investigative custody and ensure Sanader's presence at the trial. Sanader has been in investigative custody in Remetinec since mid-July when he was extradited from Austria, and he is being kept behind bars while on trial on charges of abuse of office and graft, including kickbacks he allegedly received from the Hypo bank and from MOL for ensuring that Hungarian company a dominant role in Croatia's INA.

The Constitutional Court thus quashed an earlier decision of the Zagreb County Court to remand Sanader in custody, saying that the reasons stated in the decision were no longer sufficient. Sanader has been behind bars since his arrest in Austria on 10 December last year. After being kept in the extradition custody in Austria he was extradited to Croatia on 18 July.

The highest bail offered in the history of the Croatian judiciary, HRK 12.4 million, consists of lien offered by Sanader's friends and former party colleagues: the outgoing parliament speaker Luka Bebic, Mario Zubovic and Jerko Rosin, and Sanader's wife Mirjana. Two other persons, including football player Tomo Sokota, offered a total of EUR 300,000 in cash.