Former Croatian Television editor Dijana Culjak was arrested on Friday evening and according to a source close to the investigation it is believed that Culjak was detained because of the influence or coercion of witnesses in case against Sinisa Svilan in trial for taking bribes from her ex-husband Vladimir Selebaj,
The same source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Culjak was under a criminal investigation led by Police National Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (PNUSKOK) and that she would be interrogated by the Prosecutor's Office on Saturday morning.
Culjak was question on February 28 by the County Prosecutor's Office as a suspect in the Core Media case in which other suspects are Culjak's ex-husband Vladimir Selebaj and four other persons accused of failing to pay HRK 3.1 million in VAT and syphoning more than HRK 16 million from the Core Media and Media Spot companies.
However, an indictment the prosecutor filed last November against Selebaj and his associates Toncek Mandic, Igor Sumakovic, Vlado Bucan and Mario Cikac was withdrawn two weeks ago, just before the Zagreb County Court was to have ruled whether it was founded.
During an investigation and at a trial of former Nova TV programmes director Sinisa Svilan, Selebaj said that Core Media was set up at Culjak's initiative, that she held half the stake in the company and that they shared the earnings. She, however, denies signing a secret contract with her ex-husband to cover up her conflict of interest, since at the time in question she was employed at the national broadcaster and Core Media did shows for another network.
"I have never seen a contract on the company nor consciously signed it. If I signed something, it was unconsciously," Culjak said at the Svilan trial. He was accused of taking EUR 262,000 in bribes from Selebaj to air Core Media productions on Nova TV.
In the meantime, the media have published Culjak's text messages indicating that she was familiar with Core Media's deals.
Culjak's attorney Gordan Preglej told the media on Friday that his client was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of evidence, adding however he could not go into details as the investigation was classified.
On Saturday morning, the lawyer told the press Culjak spent the night in detention and that she was scheduled to appear before prosecutors at 9.15AM Saturday.
