The request filed by lawyer Kresimir Krsnik has been rejected by Supreme Court president Branko Hrvatin, Zagreb County Court spokesman Kresimir Devcic told reporters on Thursday.
The Zagreb County Court today continued the investigation into Zagorec, who is suspected of misappropriating funds intended for defence purposes in the 1990s, by hearing former Croatian Intelligence Service (HIS) director Miroslav Tudjman and NCL publishing house director Ivo Pukanic.
As was the case with witnesses who had been heard before, details of their statements were not made public because the investigation had been declared secret at the request of the prosecution.
The investigation was launched on March 9, and four days later Zagorec was arrested on an international warrant in Vienna where he has been living for the past seven years. He was released from detention after paying EUR 1 million bail. On March 21, the Justice Ministry sent Austrian authorities a request for his extradition.
Zagorec served from 1993 to 2000 as assistant defence minister in charge of arms procurement.