The panel overruled appeals submitted by the suspects against the ruling of investigating judge Boris Ivancic to instigate a probe and place the suspects in custody, citing the danger of them repeating the criminal offences.
Court spokesman Kresimir Devcic said that the exact date of the first hearing would be announced tomorrow and that 37 witnesses would be interviewed, including HFP president Grga Ivezic and secretary Franjo Jozic.
The investigation has been declared secret, which means that persons involved in the investigative proceedings are not allowed to reveal data collected during the probe.
The investigation will be conducted against three HFP vice presidents - Josip Matanovic, Robert Pesa and Ivan Gotovac, the head of the HFP real estate department, Igor Petlevski, a lawyer from the town of Buje, Asja Piplovic, and her aide Mladen Jandricek, a lawyer from Zagreb, Juraj Parazajder, and a Bosnian businessman, Svjetlan Stanic.
All the seven except Stanic, who is beyond the reach of the Croatian judiciary, have been in custody since 16 June, when they were arrested in a police operation dubbed Maestro. A warrant for the arrest of the Bosnian businessman has been issued.
The Croatian Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) has charged them with bribery, disclosure of business secrets, and conspiracy to take bribes.