ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Former foreign minister Mate Granic, who has been in remand prison since last Friday on bribery charges, has been taken to hospital, his lawyer said on Monday.
ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Former foreign minister Mate Granic, who has
been in remand prison since last Friday on bribery charges, has been
taken to hospital, his lawyer said on Monday.#L#
"Granic has become sick and has been transferred to prison hospital in
Zagreb where doctors are monitoring his heartbeat," Miroslav Separovic
told Hina. "His health permitting, there is a possibility he will be
released straight from prison hospital," the lawyer added.
Granic and Darinko Bago, the chief executive officer of Koncar
Electrical Industries Inc., were arrested last Friday on suspicion of
bribery in the sale of Koncar shares.
Following a decision by the investigating judge earlier on Monday to
reject a request by the Office for the Prevention of Corruption and
Organised Crime (USKOK) to order an investigation and remand the two
suspects in custody for a month, the lawyers for Granic and Bago
called the prison administration to check when their clients would be
released.
"We were told then that Granic had been transferred to prison hospital
at around 1600 hours," Separovic said.
Bago was released from Remetinec Prison shortly after 17.00 hours.
"This has done irreparable damage to me and my family as well as to
the whole company, Koncar," Bago told reporters outside the prison
complex where he was met by his wife and children and members of the
Koncar Board of Directors.
"I am absolutely innocent. The aim of the operation was to stop the
restructuring process in the company and intimidate its strategic
partners," he said and added: "I will use all legal means available to
prove the truth in this case."
(Hina) vm