Damir Šegota, director of the office for the Olympic Programme at the Croatian Olympic Committee (COC), was arrested on Thursday morning alongside his wife, who are suspected of receiving bribes and money laundering. On the same day, police searched the home of COC secretary general, who was not arrested but brought to the committee's premises following the search.
According to the investigation, the businessman Vedran Pavlek paid at least €160,000 in bribes to Šegota over a period of approximately ten years, in order to influence the redirection of COC funds to the Croatian Ski Federation. According to the same accounts, Pavlek also funded the education of a member of Šegota's family, while Šegota and his wife were allegedly purchasing investment gold with the bribed money. Investigators from USKOK found approximately 120,000 documents on Pavlek's laptop, among which was a payment list including Šegota's name alongside an amount of €30,000.
The secretary general told journalists that he could not comment on the details of the investigation: "I cannot say anything while the process is ongoing." When asked if he was afraid of arrest, he replied: "I do not know who told you that... You must ask those who were talking."
The Minister of Tourism and Sport, Tonči Glava, stated that he strongly condemns every corrupt act that undermines the integrity of sport.
The name of the director had previously appeared on the so-called Pavle list, identified in January, when investigators stopped the former spokesperson of the Croatian Ski Association, Nenad Erš, with a large sum of cash as he was attempting to return to Croatia.
