After that, the defence will reply to the indictment, insisting there is no concrete evidence of the alleged bribe-taking, one of Sanader's attorneys, Jadranka Slokovic, told press on Monday.

The defence claims the whole case is based solely on the deposition of Robert Jezic, owner of the Dioki company, who, by stating that part of the bribe was paid via his Swiss companies, wanted to improve his position in a series of investigations in which he is suspected of serious crimes.

"It's obvious that Jezic has profited by accusing Sanader. If his claims were true, he should be held to account as an accessory, and USKOK hasn't prosecuted him in this case," Slokovic said, adding that the defence would speak in more detail about what it felt was unfounded in the indictment after receiving and examining it.

If parliament decides to strip Sanader of immunity today, his defence team could receive the indictment by Wednesday. The defence will have eight days to reply to the it, after which a panel of judges will meet to decide whether to uphold the indictment, reject it or return it to USKOK for a revision.

Sanader has been indicted of taking a bribe, in his capacity as prime minister, to enable MOL to have dominant influence in the Croatian oil and gas company INA. Sanader was also supposed to agree the divestiture of the loss-making gas business and its turning over to Croatia.

Although USKOK has not named him, the senior official with whom Sanader allegedly agreed the bribe was MOL Board chairman Zsolt Hernadi. The Croatian State Prosecutor's Office referred his case to Hungary after their Hungarian colleagues refused Croatia's request to interview him.

Shortly before filing the indictment in this case, USKOK decided to drop the prosecution of former PM Damir Polancec after allegedly failing to find evidence that he had aided and abetted Sanader.

Sanader has also been indicted in another case, for war profiteering.