Croatian ex-PM Sanader arrested in Austria

The former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader wanted on charges of fraud and abuse of position was arrested in Austria on Friday afternoon.He is currently being held in the country during extradition proceedings. If he agrees to the procedure, Sanader could be returned to Croatia in few days as the two states have a bilateral agreement on extradition.According to the Washington Post, Sanader's laywer Werner Suppan had said that the former PM was not trying to flee but rather return to Croatia when he was apprehended in Austria.The Austrian Times reports that the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said he expected Sanader to be handed over to Croatian authorities.Spindelegger said it was of "great importance" that authorities clarify whether the under-fire ex-prime minister broke the law or not. He also stressed however that Sanader did a lot in getting Croatia closer to joining the EU.If Sanader agrees to extradition, the procedure would be rather simple and quick. If there are complaints about the procedure, however, the Croatian Ministry of Justice would have to submit documents to the corresponding authority in Austria based on which the Austrian courts would decide whether a foundation for extradition exists.Such a decision brings with it various legal remedies including appeal, which could then further prolong the procedure.Sanader is accused of involvement in the so-called "Fimi Media" affair in which close to four million Euros from public firms and institutions ended up in the former PM's pocket. Fimi-Media had been the "go to" firm for numerous state companies and institutions dealing with public relations work. Many of these jobs had been handed over to the PR firm through rigged public bidding.  A lot of the firm's profits then went back into the hands of officials who used the money for funding the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) election campaign, amongst other things.Sanader is also accused of procuring cheaper electricity for several firms, damaging the state electrical company HEP by hundreds of millions of kunas.

Source: Croatian Times Online News