ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - A former Croatian ambassador to Belgium and former secretary-general of the European Movement Croatia, Ljubomir Cucic, was released on Sunday night after an investigating judge at the Zagreb County Court
questioned him and issued him a restraining order forbidding him to approach his wife Magali Boers, court officials have said.
ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - A former Croatian ambassador to Belgium and
former secretary-general of the European Movement Croatia,
Ljubomir Cucic, was released on Sunday night after an investigating
judge at the Zagreb County Court questioned him and issued him a
restraining order forbidding him to approach his wife Magali Boers,
court officials have said. #L#
"The suspect has not been placed in custody, but he has been
forbidden to approach his wife," Judge Aleksandar Zunder said.
Cucic is suspected of abducting one of his two children and of
preventing the implementation of child protection measures and
non-complying with them.
He was arrested yesterday at the Croatian-Slovene border crossing
of Pasjak while entering Croatia. With him in the car was his three-
year-old daughter, with whom he disappeared in July this year after
a social welfare centre in Zagreb granted his wife temporary
custody of their two daughters.
Cucic's attorney Vladimir Vinja said that his client presented a
detailed defence and pleaded not guilty.
Asked where Cucic had been hiding since July this year, Vinja said
he had been on a holiday with his younger daughter and had not been
hiding since in the meantime he crossed the border several times
without any problems.
According to "Vecernji list" of Monday, the child has been taken
care of by a social welfare centre in Rijeka.
After Cucic disappeared in July, the police issued a warrant for his
arrest. The former ambassador was accused by his wife in May of
physical and mental abuse, after which the police pressed domestic
violence charges against him.
(hina) rml