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Former Croatian PM Behind Bars Amid Corruption Probe


Former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader (file photo)
Former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader (file photo)
Croatia's former prime minister, Ivo Sanader, is behind bars in a Zagreb prison as an investigation continues into allegations of corruption and abuse of power.

The 58-year-old Sanader, who led the government from 2003 until 2009, was detained in Austria in early December on a Croatian warrant. He was extradited from Austria late on July 18.

Sanader's return comes at a sensitive time for the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party, which is lagging in public opinion polls just months before general elections.

Sanader is suspected of involvement in a string of multimillion-euro corruption affairs, but has not been officially charged.

Local media reports in Zagreb say he is expected to remain in custody for a month and be questioned by anticorruption prosecutors later this week.

compiled from agency reports

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