ZAGREB, July 22 (Hina) - Pavo Zubak, the owner of "Autocentar Zubak" car dealership and co-owner of the "Vecernji List" daily, will stay at the Zagreb County Court's investigative centre 48 hours, according to a decision of an
investigating judge, Oliver Mittermeyer. Zubak's defence lawyer Zvonimir Hodak said this decision was taken, owing to "the danger that influence might be exerted on witnesses and evidence concealed." Following a criminal investigation at 'Autocentar Zubak' car dealership from Zagreb, the police arrested and transferred Zubak to the Zagreb County Court's investigative centre on Friday afternoon. It has been established during the investigation into the company's financial operations that there is reasonable suspicion that Zubak has forged an official document and evaded the payment of taxes and other obligations, causing damage to the state budget worth about 33.5 million kuna,
ZAGREB, July 22 (Hina) - Pavo Zubak, the owner of "Autocentar Zubak"
car dealership and co-owner of the "Vecernji List" daily, will stay
at the Zagreb County Court's investigative centre 48 hours,
according to a decision of an investigating judge, Oliver
Mittermeyer.
Zubak's defence lawyer Zvonimir Hodak said this decision was taken,
owing to "the danger that influence might be exerted on witnesses
and evidence concealed."
Following a criminal investigation at 'Autocentar Zubak' car
dealership from Zagreb, the police arrested and transferred Zubak
to the Zagreb County Court's investigative centre on Friday
afternoon.
It has been established during the investigation into the company's
financial operations that there is reasonable suspicion that Zubak
has forged an official document and evaded the payment of taxes and
other obligations, causing damage to the state budget worth about
33.5 million kuna, the Zagreb police reported.
According to the police, the forged document referred to a contract
Zubak concluded with the Germany company Wolkswagen AG, which he
subsequently used for the entry of false data in the books about his
business activities from 1996 to 1999.
The police came to the data while probing into murky circumstances
under which the Croatian daily with the highest circulation
"Vecernji List" was sold.
According to the defence counsel Hodak, Zubak denied all
allegations before the investigating judge and asserted that in the
beginning of May this year he had overpaid taxes by four million
kuna.
Zubak dismissed the allegation that the contentious agreement was
forged.
Hodak explained that the police had seized the agreement and he
handed the receipt on the confiscation to the investigating judge
on Friday. The judge decided to detain Zubak until he got the
contentious document, Hodak added.
Another reason for his detention is that Zubak may exert influence
on the public notary (witness) who certified the aforementioned
agreement.
Upon the expiry of the 48-hour-long detention at the investigative
centre, the judge will decide whether he will release Zubak or take
him to custody.
(hina) ms