The former boss and owner of the retail giant was questioned by Bjelovar police, said Bjelovar Police Department spokesman Dražen Medved.

‘Zdrako Pevec was questioned on the grounds of a request from the Zagreb PD related to charges filed by a company over their business relations with that company’, said Medved in a brief statement.

The Bjelovarski List unofficially reports that Pevec was accused by a former distributor for issuing nonperforming loans for delivered goods.

While the county State Attorney’s Office is waiting on a police report, confirming that Pevec’s business-doings are under their magnifying-glass, the Bjelovarski List reports that Pevec may be charged with business fraud if the charges are determined to be founded.

However, the accused party’s malicious intent must be proved. In this case, it would mean that Pevec had issued the bonds knowing that they could not be cashed, said an anonymous informant for the Bjelovarski List. An additional issue for prosecutors could also be the complex organizational structure in the Pevec group.

The Pevec PR department stated that Pevec’s bankruptcy trustee Darko Šket had spoken with the State Attorney’s Office and police, but that he cannot release any information.