The former head of accounting of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Branka Pavosevic, arrested on Thursday morning on the orders of the national anti-corruption office USKOK, fell sick during interrogation before a Zagreb County Court investigating judge shortly after noon on Friday and was transferred to a hospital.
Around noon Pavosevic was brought before judge Erna Drazancic who was expected to decide on the request of USKOK which asked for a month-long detention for the suspect. Shortly after the closed hearing started, the suspect fell sick and an ambulance was called.
USKOK representative Tamara Laptos told the press the investigating judge was expected to hand down the decision on investigating detention after 1300 hours.
Pavosevic is apparently suspected of involvement in the siphoning of funds from government ministries and state-owned companies through the privately owned marketing firm Fimi Media.
Pavosevic's lawyer said his client presented an "active defence" and denied accusations.
Pavosevic, who was dismissed from the post of the head of the HDZ accounting after auditors detected irregularities in the party's book-keeping in 2008, is suspected of conspiring with former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, former customs chief Mladen Barisic and several ministers and CEOs of public companies to siphon funds from state institutions and public companies through the privately owned marketing firm Fimi Media.
The latest arrest in the Fimi Media case in which 16 persons are charged with siphoning off nearly HRK 100 million of budgetary funds, took place ahead of the extradition of former prime minister Ivo Sanader, the first defendant in the Fimi Media case.
