Croatia Court Releases Dinamo Chiefs on Bail

Zagreb County Court on Wednesday ordered the release on bail of Dinamo's executive president, Zdravko Mamic, the club manager, Zoran Mamic, and the former club director, Damir Vrbanovic, for a total of 1.6 million euro.

All suspects left custody prison on Wednesday afternoon, after their bails were deposited at court.

The Croatian Office for suppression of corruption and organized crime, USKOK, launched an action against the trio and against tax administration officer Milan Pernar on July 2.

It believes they embezzled around 17.3 million euro, damaging the club's budget and evading taxes.

Pernar turned himself in already on July 3, while Vrbanovic was arrested at Zagreb airport on July 4. The Mamic brothers, who were in Slovenia when the action started, turned themselves in on the Hungarian border on July 5 and were put in remand until the end of the investigation.

The court set bail of 933,000 euro for Zdravko Mamic, 533,000 euro for Zoran Mamic and 133,000 euro for Vrbanovic.

The suspects can leave jail once the bail is posted to the court and after they pledge not try to influence the witnesses or commit the same crimes again.

The Mamic brothers' family home, allegedly worth 2.6 million euro, offered as bail upon the arrest, was denied by the court due to the existing mortgages on the house.

Zdravko Mamic, who has been executive president of Dinamo for more than 12 years, is a controversial figure.

In the past, he has often insulted public figures and ethnic and sexual minority groups.

He has also threatened journalists, telling one that he would "disappear into the darkness", while threatening another with physical violence.

He has also had physical confrontations at various stadiums and in...