Judge Kresimir Devcic granted the request by the anti-corruption agency USKOK to set a month-long detention for Josip Sapunar, the HAC manager in charge of finance, two former CEOs, Mario Crnjak and Jurica Prskalo, and former director of the Autoceste Rijeka Zagreb company, Zlatko Korpar, as there is a risk that they may interfere with witnesses.

The other reason for Sapunar's detention is USKOK's fear that he may repeat the offence as he was the only suspect still employed in HAC at the moment of his arrest.

Sapunar's lawyer Veljko Miljevic said today that all the four men presented their defence on Wednesday afternoon after they had been apprehended in the morning.

Miljevic said the arestees did not stand mute yesterday because other suspects in the Fimi Media scandal had already presented their defence.

The four men were arrested yesterday on suspicion of involvement in malfeasance, abuse of power and syphoning off HRK 26 million from this state-owned company via the private Fimi Media company.

According to unofficial information, Fimi Media, owned by Nevenka Jurak, who was arrested in August, was awarded jobs to organise ceremonies for the inauguration of new motorway sections and to advertise the electronic toll payment system for toll roads and HAC gave her money for it.

Fimi Media is believed to have helped syphon off several dozen million kuna from state-owned companies and ministries.

Also arrested in connection with the Fimi Media scandal was a former customs administration chief and Croatian Democratic Union treasurer, Mladen Barisic.

Jurak and Barisic presented their defence to USKOK last week.

Barisic is believed to have pointed the accusing finger at former Prime Minister Ivo Sanader for masterminding such murky dealings.