Zagreb Mayor Probed Over Missing 40,000 Euro

Croatia's Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime, USKOK, has started a new investigation against Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic.

Bandic was arrested in October along with several colleagues in an USKOK action on suspicion of abuse of office, influence peddling and other corrupt activities. After spending more than three weeks in custody prison, he was released after pledging 2 million euro in bail.

USKOK's new investigation concerns possible Bandic's abuse of office. Along with his colleague, Ivica Lovric, from the city administration and Zdenka Palac, from a city-owned company, Zagreb Holding, he is suspected of embezzling some 40,000 euro.

Bandic allegedly allowed a civic campaigning group, "In the Name of the Family" to get stands and pamphlets from the public company Zagreb Holding free of charge.

The City of Zagreb thus lost 40,000 euro it should have received for rent for the stands and for printing services.

"In the Name of the Family" successfully campaigned for a referendum on marriage in 2013, as a result of which marriage was redefined in the constitution on strictly heterosexual lines.

Earlier this month, members of the initiative, along with their president, Zeljka Markic, underwent interrogation by USKOK.